Understanding long COVID (PASC) patterns and care gaps for Veterans

COvid Post-Exposure Evaluation and Symptomatology (COPES) Center: Identifying Post-COVID Phenotypes and Related Health Inequities

NIH-funded research VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System · NIH-11311366

This project looks for common long COVID symptoms and care differences to help Veterans who had COVID-19 get better, timelier care.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionVA Salt Lake City Healthcare System NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Salt Lake City, United States)
Project IDNIH-11311366 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This project uses VA medical records and diagnosis codes to identify groups of Veterans who share similar long COVID symptoms and health needs. Researchers will combine electronic health record data, coded diagnoses, and other VA data sources to define PASC (post‑COVID conditions) and find patterns of who is most affected. The team will also examine whether historically underserved Veterans experience different symptoms, delays in care, or worse outcomes. The goal is to use these findings to guide better, evidence-based care for Veterans with persistent post-COVID problems.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Veterans with a history of COVID-19 infection, especially those with ongoing symptoms weeks to months after their infection, are the primary group who could be involved or affected by this work.

Not a fit: People without prior COVID-19 infection, patients whose symptoms are clearly due to another diagnosis, or non‑Veterans are unlikely to directly benefit from this specific VA-focused effort.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could clarify what long COVID looks like and help target treatments and services so Veterans get timely, effective care.

How similar studies have performed: Other research has identified long COVID patterns but clear, widely accepted definitions and evidence-based treatments remain limited, so this work builds on emerging but incomplete findings.

Where this research is happening

Salt Lake City, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions COVID-19 infectionCOVID-19 virus infectionCOVID19 infection
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.