Infection-associated chronic illness: A complex condition or disease characterized by lingering symptoms involving physical, cognitive, emotional, and neurological difficulties after any type of bacterial or viral infection.

PPP loan: The Paycheck Protection Program is a 2020 loan program created by the federal government as a part of the CARES Act to provide small businesses forgivable loans to maintain their payroll, hire back employees who may have been laid off, cover applicable overhead, and other eligible costs.

RECOVER Initiative: The NIH launched the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery Initiative in 2021 to learn why some people have prolonged symptoms or develop new or returning symptoms after the acute phase of infection.

Severity: The nature and intensity of the symptoms and health impacts experienced by someone with Long COVID, as well as their duration over time. Some people experience mild symptoms, while others experience physically and cognitively debilitating ones.

Social Security Administration (SSA): A federal agency responsible for the administration of social security benefits such as retirement, disability and survivors benefits, and social security income and cards, as well as annual wage reporting programs.

Social determinants of health (SDOH): Social determinants of health are the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.

Subject-matter expert: An individual who by education, training, or lived experience is a recognized expert on a particular subject or topic.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): The U.S. federal government agency responsible for protecting the public’s health and providing important services. The Department of Health and Human Services works with state and local governments throughout the country to do research and provide public health services, food and drug safety programs, health insurance programs, and many other services.

Interview: Interviews are conducted one-on-one or in small groups with each of the participating communities. We develop interview guides that are comprehensive, ethical, and sensitive. Our documentation process ensures interviewees’ privacy is protected.

Virtual postcard: Similar to a regular postcard, but in a digital format, for people to write about their experiences and daily lives, then send via digital mail or email.

Xenophobia: Discrimination and behavior specifically based on the perception of individuals or groups as foreign or originating from outside a community or nation based on their real or perceived geographic origins, values, beliefs, or practices.