Many people suffer from the debilitating effects of COVID-19 long after the initial battle is over. These “long haulers” can experience coronavirus symptoms for months. While the situation is difficult enough for people who have medical insurance and support,  it presents special problems for the approximately 12 million illegal immigrants without resources to pay for continued medical care.

According to The Atlantic, long haulers may experience symptoms that include hallucinations, delirium, irregular heartbeats, and difficulty breathing. While the general population is at risk for developing long-term complications from COVID-19, research shows that Hispanic or Latino people along with Blacks are at increased risk for complications, hospitalization, and death.

According to NPR, illegal immigrants who are long haulers are less likely to get the medical care they need in order to recover. They not only lack health insurance, but many of them live in crowded quarters and work in jobs where the risk of contracting the virus is high.

Experts say that the most crucial time for these patients is when they are released from the hospital.

“They cannot walk. They cannot talk. The virus impacts the brain and all the major organs,” said Aida Giachello, a researcher from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, who studies the social and racial health disparities among ethnic groups.

In June, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a special bulletin announcing a $10 billion distribution to help hospitals serve Medicaid and uninsured patients as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. But experts told NPR that the rules are confusing and hospitals have had issues getting funding.

Devices 4 the Disabled is helping illegal immigrants with COVID-19 get equipment they may need to recuperate at home, according to NPR. Bob Shea, the co-founder of the nonprofit, says that hospital social workers alert him to families in need. His group has provided wheel chairs, shower chairs, hospital beds and other medical equipment to those in need, and without medical insurance to cover the thousands of dollars to pay for these critical items.