Before the Covid pandemic, the number of people age 16 or over with a disability in the US was largely flat for several years, according to FRED data. Since the pandemic started, that number has trended upward. It has been estimated that as of June, 2022, about 16 million people age 18-65 in the US have long Covid, and long Covid has likely contributed to the increasing trend in the number of people who report that they have a disability. SARS-CoV-2 infection also increases the risks of many cardiovascular, neurological and other disorders and events for a substantial period following infection.

It is possible that growing numbers of long Covid cases may result in increasing numbers of people who report that they have a disability; such increases, in turn, may reduce the size of the workforce compared to what it would have been in the absence of such changes. Thus, this question aims to examine indirectly one facet of long Covid's effects on the population, a facet that could have substantial economic impact.

The question will resolve to YES if FRED data (Population - With a Disability, 16 Years and over (LNU00074597), https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNU00074597 ) for June, 2023 indicates that 33,500,000 or more people age 16 years and over in the US have a disability. In Aug, 2022, a total of 32,316,000 people age 16 and over in the US were reported to have a disability. The question will resolve when the FRED data for June, 2023 becomes available, which is expected to occur before the end of July, 2023.