Researchers from the state Department of Health will focus on studying COVID-19’s lasting effects on a person’s health after recovery to assist medical experts across the globe as the virus emerges with potential to impact multiple organ systems.

People infected with COVID-19 have reported a wide range of physical and psychological effects, including potential neurological issues, depressive or other mental health disorders, chronic exhaustion or fatigue, muscle inflammation and permanent damage to the lungs, vocal cords and other organs, among many others waiting to be specified.

Dozens of physicians, clinicians and scientists spoke at a public DOH forum on long COVID for several hours Thursday to define the condition, causes, who is most vulnerable and potential therapies.

“It (long COVID) targets obviously multiple organs and multiple physiologic systems on the body that makes it so hard,” said Dr. Michael H.A. Roehrl, director of the Precision Pathology Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. “(With) multiple target organs involved, that makes it so hard for us, and in medicine, to get a good grasp on such diseases.”

Many experts Thursday noted that long COVID is in its infant stages, and that they need significantly more time to understand the breadth of the international problem.

A variety of evolving factors, such as underlying conditions and comorbidities, contribute to the severity of a person’s post-COVID symptoms.

“As the COVID winter surge recedes, we can start to focus on looking towards what a future of living with this virus looks like,” state Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said in opening remarks Thursday. “When the pandemic phase of COVID finally ends, we will still have much to do to negotiate our relationship with this virus and ensure we provide necessary support to those still recovering.”

“The problem of long COVID warrants a significant New York state response,” she added.

DOH officials Thursday would not say at which facilities the department is studying long COVID, how much the state has spent to date to study the issue and what resources were used or for how long.

“The department has a variety of team members and experts spending time on this issue to deepen their understanding and analysis and to support formulating the state’s response, as was done today,” according to the DOH on Thursday. “This is the latest information currently available.”

Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul did not include funding to study long-term COVID symptoms or illnesses in the 2022-23 executive budget.

Representatives with the state Division of the Budget did not return requests for comment Thursday.

Scientists and medical researchers across the world continue to conduct patient-centered long COVID studies about the signs, causes and available treatments.

People who develop long-term medical issues after recovering from a novel coronavirus infection are most often elderly, diabetic or with several comorbidities.

A recent study by New York University Grossman School of Medicine neurology professor Dr. Jennifer A. Frontera showed that people hospitalized with COVID complications had greater neurological decline than some patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

Long COVID has presented more frequently in younger women with different comorbidities, including autoimmune disorders.

“We have to appreciate that when we look at this and a lot of what may be driving disability in the hospitalized patients could be a static insult like hypoxic brain injury, or a stroke,” Frontera said. “Though, you’ll receive these deficits even in patients who had no acute neurological injuries during the acute phase and infection.”

Patients can experience one of the ongoing symptoms or several concurrently–making long COVID difficult to diagnose.

“Just because you have a blue mood doesn’t mean you have a mental health issue that isn’t an inflammatory disorder,” said Dr. Mady Hornig, an associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. “That may be all part of a part of this, and saying ‘It’s just depression,’ is another issue.”

Several panelists discussed treatments in the investigative or experimental stages, including nerve blockers and other medication to help curb COVID’s lasting impacts on a variety of organ systems.

The state is working to increase its 26 post-COVID care centers to study patients’ progression with long COVID and explore potential therapies.

All clinicians and medical experts on Thursday’s panel agreed that an approved vaccine is the best way to build up your immune system to fight back against severe COVID infections and lasting impacts.

How your body responds to stressors — like viral infections and toxins — depends on age, health, genetics and prior exposure, Hornig said.

“That’s why vaccines can help, because we have an immune response induced by vaccines,” she said.

Experts Thursday stressed the need for greater long COVID research focused in Black, Latino and minority populations.

About 8% of white New Yorkers were infected with COVID in April 2020 according to a DOH study shortly after the state was the global epicenter of the coronavirus. The 8% infection rate in white people compared to 20% of Black residents who were infected with COVID — or nearly 2.5 times more — attributed to disparities in education, health care and more in minority neighborhoods.

Panelists discussed legislative priorities and actions for the state to take to support health workers, providers and other New Yorkers suffering with long COVID.

DOH officials compiled the data and information gathered during Thursday’s event to determine the next steps of action, Bassett said.