Long COVID and Patient Activism: Insights from Professor Emily Mendenhall
In a recent interview with Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, Professor Emily Mendenhall explores how patient activism particularly online—has shaped public and medical understanding of Long COVID. Drawing on her expertise in medical anthropology, Mendenhall highlights how individuals experiencing persistent symptoms have played a critical role in naming the condition, advocating for recognition, and influencing research agendas. The conversation underscores the value of patient narratives and collective action in transforming medical knowledge, reinforcing a central theme of the medical humanities: that health and illness are understood not only through biology, but through lived experience, storytelling, and social engagement.