Q&A

“Medically neglected” and “structurally erased”: International network appeals for ME advocate Nevra Elis

Health, International, Policy & Advocacy

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By

Miles W. Griffis

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December 15, 2025

This fall, an international group of people known as Team Nevra has led an ongoing campaign to fundraise and help find care for Nevra Elis, an advocate living with severe myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).
Epidemiologist Caitlin Rivers shares advice for interpreting COVID-19 and other infectious disease data

COVID-19, Health, Podcast

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By

Betsy Ladyzhets

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September 18, 2025

To offer guidance on finding and interpreting infectious disease data during these confusing times, managing editor Betsy Ladyzhets talked to Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health and author of the popular newsletter, Force of Infection.
Building a “community wiki” of Long COVID care: Salvatore Mattera on the Help for Long COVID review site

Health, Podcast

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By

Betsy Ladyzhets

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September 5, 2025

In spring 2025, Salvatore and Stephanie Mattera launched the new site Help for Long COVID, inspired by Salvatore’s challenges finding healthcare after he developed the disease. Managing editor Betsy Ladyzhets spoke to Salvatore Mattera about the project.
“A morale boost”: Looking ahead to the 2025 Keystone Symposia Long COVID conference with Hannah Davis

Podcast, Science

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By

Betsy Ladyzhets

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May 9, 2025

In August, leading Long COVID researchers will gather in Santa Fe, New Mexico for a major conference on Long COVID and other post-acute infection syndromes. The meeting, organized by Long COVID experts and hosted by the nonprofit Keystone Symposia, follows a similar conference in 2023 at which scientists presented novel, exciting studies. Managing editor Betsy…
Lisa McCorkell reflects on five years of Long COVID research, and leaving PLRC

Podcast, Science

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By

Betsy Ladyzhets

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April 7, 2025

Lisa McCorkell, one of the founders of the Patient-Led Research Collaborative (or PLRC), recently stepped down after five years co-leading the organization. The Sick Times co-founder and managing editor Betsy Ladyzhets spoke with McCorkell in an exit interview. She reflected on her time collaborating on formative Long COVID studies, advocating for federal funding, developing new…
“It’s not an individual problem, it’s everyone’s”: Matt McGorry shares his experience with Long COVID

Arts & Culture, Q&A

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By

Miles W. Griffis

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December 9, 2024

This fall, activist and actor Matt McGorry disclosed on social media that he has Long COVID in an educational, two-part video series. In the videos, shared with over a million followers, McGorry talked about his experience with the disease and summarized key scientific information. He described the project as a “catch-up” for viewers unaware of…
We talked to a veteran lawyer about applying for disability insurance with Long COVID and ME

Health, Q&A

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By

Betsy Ladyzhets

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December 3, 2024

To learn more about the disability insurance system, Betsy Ladyzhets spoke to Barbara Comerford, a long-time disability lawyer based in New Jersey who specializes in these cases. Comerford has represented people with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), for more than 30 years, including high-profile cases like that of journalist Brian Vastag.
Q&A: NIH Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli on next steps for RECOVER, future Long Covid research plans, and more

Policy & Advocacy, Science

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By

Betsy Ladyzhets

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August 13, 2024

Betsy Ladyzhets spoke with Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in a wide-ranging interview discussing the agency’s efforts to further research into Long Covid and related diseases. In the interview, Bertagnolli described a new phase of RECOVER, called Treating Long Covid, which responds to the Long Covid community’s criticism with…
Q&A: Behind the scenes of the Patient-Generated Hypotheses Journal with Vijay Iyer

Science

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By

Betsy Ladyzhets

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July 5, 2024

Last week, the Patient-Led Research Collaborative (PLRC), the research organization led by people with Long Covid, published the second issue of its Patient-Generated Hypothesis Journal. This journal publishes scientific manuscripts that aim to advance research into Long Covid and related diseases by sharing novel ideas about potential mechanisms and treatments. Betsy Ladyzhets spoke to Vijay…
Black and Unbelieved: A conversation with filmmaker Chimére Sweeney

Arts & Culture, Commentary, Policy & Advocacy

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By

Lygia Navarro

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June 4, 2024

Coming down with Covid-19 on March 22, 2020 completely altered filmmaker Chimére Sweeney’s life. A Black middle school English teacher in Baltimore, Maryland at the time, Sweeney was shocked to…