A new modeling study estimates that the economic burden of long COVID could exceed $8 billion between 2025 and the end of 2027, with productivity losses accounting for more than 90% of costs. The work, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases in 2025, simulated health outcomes after COVID-19 infection and translated those risks into healthcare costs and lost-work productivity. The article reports per-case annual costs ranging from about $9,906 to $11,646, with higher costs for more severe symptom profiles. With no cure available and long COVID symptoms often persisting, the findings have downstream implications for education-related workforce stability, student employment pathways, and the sustainability of institutional health services, particularly as campuses plan supports for affected staff and students.