City proclaims Long COVID Awareness Day; patients and advocates urge ongoing support and prevention
March 12, 2026 | Austin, Travis County, Texas
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The Austin City Council proclaimed March 15, 2026 as Long COVID Awareness Day during a March 12 ceremony that included testimony from local advocates and clinicians.
Katie Drakert, identified as founder of Clear the Air ATX, described her personal experience with long COVID and said the condition can produce "over 200 documented symptoms and no approved treatments." She described Clear the Air ATX’s primary program, a lending library of HEPA‑grade air purifiers in Austin launched in December 2023, and urged the city to support public health measures that reduce airborne transmission.
"While COVID is often described as mild, I'd say that mild is the perfect descriptor for taco sauce, but not an airborne illness that has catalyzed a mass disablement and upended countless lives," Drakert said, describing years of personal hardship and the group’s community response.
Rachel, cofounder and chair of the Long COVID Collective, said "at least 1 in 19 adults have long COVID," which she said translates to "over 42,000 Austinites," and shared stories of people who lost careers, housing and income after becoming ill.
A clinician associated with the University of Texas Dell Medical School described the post–COVID‑19 program, which the speaker said was established in June 2021 and has "provided specialized care to nearly 1,300 patients across Central Texas," and noted participation in clinical trials and collaborative research.
A proclamation read by a council speaker summarized long COVID as more than 200 symptoms persisting longer than three months, cited U.S. prevalence estimates (1 in 19 adults) and an estimated 24,000,000 working‑age adults nationally, and said there are currently no FDA‑approved treatments for long COVID. The council proclaimed March 15 as Long COVID Awareness Day to raise public awareness and encourage continued clinical and community support.
Speakers asked the city to sustain recognition and resources for people living with long COVID; no council motions or funding decisions were recorded during the presentations.
Katie Drakert, identified as founder of Clear the Air ATX, described her personal experience with long COVID and said the condition can produce "over 200 documented symptoms and no approved treatments." She described Clear the Air ATX’s primary program, a lending library of HEPA‑grade air purifiers in Austin launched in December 2023, and urged the city to support public health measures that reduce airborne transmission.
"While COVID is often described as mild, I'd say that mild is the perfect descriptor for taco sauce, but not an airborne illness that has catalyzed a mass disablement and upended countless lives," Drakert said, describing years of personal hardship and the group’s community response.
Rachel, cofounder and chair of the Long COVID Collective, said "at least 1 in 19 adults have long COVID," which she said translates to "over 42,000 Austinites," and shared stories of people who lost careers, housing and income after becoming ill.
A clinician associated with the University of Texas Dell Medical School described the post–COVID‑19 program, which the speaker said was established in June 2021 and has "provided specialized care to nearly 1,300 patients across Central Texas," and noted participation in clinical trials and collaborative research.
A proclamation read by a council speaker summarized long COVID as more than 200 symptoms persisting longer than three months, cited U.S. prevalence estimates (1 in 19 adults) and an estimated 24,000,000 working‑age adults nationally, and said there are currently no FDA‑approved treatments for long COVID. The council proclaimed March 15 as Long COVID Awareness Day to raise public awareness and encourage continued clinical and community support.
Speakers asked the city to sustain recognition and resources for people living with long COVID; no council motions or funding decisions were recorded during the presentations.
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