In a move that comes as no surprise, the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") has updated its COVID-19
technical assistance to provide guidance on when COVID-19 may be
considered a "disability" under the Americans with
Disabilities Act ("ADA"), making specific reference to
the Department of Justice ("DOJ")/ Department of Health
and Human Services ("HHS") guidance discussed in the
background section below.
The EEOC's technical assistance focuses "more broadly
on COVID-19" beyond just "long COVID," and does so
"in the context of Title I of the ADA and section 501 of the
Rehabilitation Act, which cover employment." However, the
EEOC's guidance clearly echoes the DOH/HHS guidance and states
that long COVID or sustained symptoms of COVID may be a
"disability" under the law.