As we continue on year 3 of the pandemic, millions of Americans are suffering from long COVID. USA TODAY spoke with three women who saw their entire lives change from the virus. Their different experiences with long COVID show the challenge of helping people with a condition that creates so many profound and varied problems. Long COVID patients are growing increasingly desperate for a treatment that will not just mask their symptoms but solve their problems. However, the road to possible treatments or cures is a long one. Federal research, backed by more than $1 billion, is on track to provide some answers in about four years – lightning fast by the standards of government research, but way too slow for people who are suffering now. Read more in the link in our bio about how long COVID has become a debilitating illness, and what researchers are doing to find solutions amid medical, scientific and financial barriers.