The Department of Health and Human Services on Monday announced the launch of an “Office of Long COVID Research.” The office will oversee the Biden administration’s $1.15 billion RECOVER Initiative, which will fund research and clinical trials to better “understand, treat, and prevent” Long Covid.

It’s not surprising that some number of people infected with the coronavirus suffered fatigue, pain, and brain fog after recovering from their illness. Post-viral syndrome, characterized by exactly those symptoms, can occur in people recovering from a viral infection. When a person’s infection is so severe that he is admitted to intensive care, it’s not uncommon that lingering tissue damage will affect the patient for months after he leaves the hospital, leaving him potentially short of breath and suffering many of the same symptoms claimed by Long Covid sufferers.

A large number of people who claim to have Long Covid, however, show no evidence of having been infected by the virus at all. And some of those claiming symptoms months, or in some cases, years later were never admitted to the ICU for their illness. In fact, one of the best predictors of suffering from Long Covid is having been depressed, anxious, or stressed before being diagnosed with the virus.