Former CDC Director Robert Redfield and other experts noted differences between long COVID from infection and post-vaccine syndromes, with vaccine-related cases showing less improvement over time; some patients remain ill even five years later. S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. led roundtable discussions with senators, health officials, doctors, and patients to highlight long COVID’s impact on an estimated 20 million Americans and to push for more effective research, treatments, and patient validation. Despite billions invested in NIH’s RECOVER Initiative, critics argued progress has been minimal, urging greater focus on repurposed drugs, patient-doctor collaboration, and practical treatments rather than academic-only research.