I am writing this letter with the goal of raising awareness about Long COVID-19 on the LSU campus. Many people don’t know what Long COVID-19 is. Most people assume that their battle with COVID-19 is over when they test negative, but few realize that there can be lingering symptoms that don’t appear until three months after a negative test and last for many months after that. These symptoms can impact even young and healthy people.
The impact has been so strong that universities, including Tulane, have opened Long COVID-19 care clinics, specifically intended to treat patients with Long COVID-19 symptoms. The demand for treatment is so high at Tulane that patients often have to wait six months before they can see someone at the clinic.
The lack of awareness about Long COVID-19, and its negative impact on people’s everyday lives, caused a group of Manship students to center our advocacy project around informing LSU students about Long COVID-19 using facts and personal experiences. We have partnered with a neurologist from the Tulane Long Covid Care Clinic and experts from the Louisiana Department of Health to help us understand this new health phenomenon, its impact on young people, and what colleges and universities can do to help raise awareness and connect students with resources.
Our group strongly encourages LSU students to not only get the COVID-19 vaccine but also get boosted. As scientific experts relentlessly study Long COVID-19, getting boosted and following established COVID-19 guidelines are definitive ways for young students to protect themselves. 
Bryant Randall is a 21-year-old political communication senior from Charleston, SC.