Derrick Kardos, a graphic designer and Long COVID advocate, died on July 18 at the age of 53 due to complications of Long COVID, his family recently announced.
“To his friends, Derrick will be remembered for his fierce eccentricity, outrageous sense of humor and wit, unwavering loyalty, and his passion for Madonna and Sinéad O’Connor,” they wrote.
Kardos was known for his film and television graphic design work. He made props on movies including School of Rock, The Devil Wears Prada, The Manchurian Candidate, The Departed, Black Swan, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, and many others. His work on American Gangster was nominated for an Oscar for art direction.
His work in television includes credits on The Sopranos and, most recently, Poker Face.
“My outsider, drag performer status… it’s what gave me my edge,” he told Design Observer in 2019. “I have an observational prowess that growing up a different way wouldn’t have given me. I have talent for mimckry that others lack.”
On top of his artwork in film and television, Kardos created a drag persona called The House of Diabolique. He also used the persona to write a house music blog he launched in 1996 under the same name, his family wrote. Kardos DJed at venues in New York City’s East Village.
On a 2023 Long COVID Hour Podcast, he spoke about HIV/AIDS and myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) activism and how they helped inform his advocacy for Long COVID.
In the episode, he spoke about the importance of making Long COVID more visible, describing how he posted stickers that raised awareness about the disease from the Berlin Buyers Club around his town of Rockaway, New Jersey.
He also advocated for disability benefits for people with Long COVID, saying, “so many people are suffering … and it’s not right. It’s an injustice.”
So many people are suffering … and it’s not right. It’s an injustice.
Derrick Kardos
“Derrick was a passionate fighter for social justice, never afraid to speak out on behalf of the most vulnerable,” his family wrote. “As he struggled with Long COVID, he became a dedicated advocate for more aggressive medical research and treatment development, and for formal recognition of Long COVID as a disability.”
In an April 2024 social media post he wrote, “This is my experience. I do not speak for all gays. But I am 52 and I have experienced more discrimination and stigma for being openly disabled by #LongCOVID than I ever did for being openly gay.”
In another post from 2024, he wrote, “#LongCOVID deaths are #SocialMurder” and called on then-President Joe Biden to declare Long COVID a national emergency.
In his obituary, his family wrote that donations can be made to the advocacy group Long COVID Action Project in his memory.
Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported over 5,000 Americans had died of Long COVID since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC’s numbers most likely represent significant undercounts of Long COVID-related deaths, experts say, highlighting a need for better reporting standards and education for the people who fill out death certificates.
“People are dying and Long COVID is not being mentioned in their obituary,” Kardos said in 2023.
According to The Economist, excess deaths from the continuing pandemic may be over 25 million as of 2024. The World Health Organization (WHO) states the official toll is over 7 million.
Kardos is survived by his father, Paul, brothers Donald and David, and sister Michelle.
