Long COVID & ME/CFS Advocacy in Canada
Petitions you can sign, what the government said when Canadians asked, and simple ways to speak up for long COVID, ME/CFS, POTS and related illnesses, even on a low energy day.
- 5 petitions open
- 3 government replies
- Sept 2026 last checked
Take action in 5 minutes
You don’t have to do everything. Pick one thing that fits your energy today.
Write to your MP
Use the Canadian Covid Society’s letter asking for long COVID funding. Add one line about your own experience.
Sign a petition
Add your name to petitions that are open right now. More signatures help show decision makers how many people are affected.
Share this page
Send this page to a friend, a support group or your family doctor. Awareness is one of the biggest barriers to care.
Start your own petition
Any Canadian citizen or resident can start a House of Commons online petition. Here’s how it works, step by step.
Petitions open for signature
There is no open House of Commons online petition about long COVID or ME/CFS right now. These petitions are open and related. Signature counts were checked on September 26, 2026.
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OntarioOpen
Pause McMaster’s FALCON Lightning Process trial
Change.orgAbout 1,800 signatures
Started by Robert DeRosa, who lives with severe long COVID in Hamilton. McMaster University’s FALCON trial compares the Lightning Process, a commercial mind body program, with activity pacing in people with long COVID. The petition asks McMaster to pause recruitment until an independent scientific, ethical and patient led review looks at the study’s design, conflicts of interest and reliance on self reported outcomes.
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Across CanadaOpen
Federal action on biomedical care for children with long COVID
Change.orgKidsAbout 1,700 signatures
Started by the Children’s Long COVID Network. Asks the federal government for a national pediatric long COVID strategy with prevalence data, biomedical research and clinical trials for children.
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Across CanadaOpen
Access to COVID-19 monoclonal antibodies & long COVID trials
Change.orgAbout 1,350 signatures
Asks Health Canada to approve the preventive antibody Pemgarda for immunocompromised people and to fund public clinical trials of treatments for long COVID.
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Across CanadaOpen
Improve care for complex illness in Canada
Change.orgPOTS & dysautonomiaAbout 1,350 signatures
Started by a patient in BC. Asks for proper specialist care for dysautonomia and POTS, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, mast cell activation syndrome and other complex illnesses, many of which develop after viral infections alongside long COVID and ME/CFS.
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House of CommonsOpen until Oct 13, 2026
e-7573: Protect disability income after age 65
Official online petitionDisability benefits1,754 signatures
Asks the government to keep part of CPP Disability after 65, remove the age cap on the Canada Disability Benefit, and create a senior disability supplement. It isn’t specific to long COVID, but it matters to anyone who relies on disability benefits.
What the government said when Canadians asked
These petitions are closed, but the government had to answer them in writing. Their replies show where federal policy stands today.
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House of CommonsClosed
e-7076: National standards for long COVID care
1,103 signaturesReply: Aug 19, 2026
Asked for a national inquiry into the pandemic response, national diagnosis and treatment standards for long COVID and vaccine injury, and better disability support.
Government reply: The Minister of Health pointed to $9 million for clinical guidance, $20 million for the Long COVID Web research network, and CIHR research funding.
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House of CommonsClosed
451-00927: A blood test for long COVID microclots
Paper petitionReply: June 18, 2026
Asked the government to validate a fibrin amyloid microclot test, fund a pilot at UBC and Vancouver General Hospital, and speed up approval of lab tests for long COVID.
Government reply: Health Canada does not regulate tests that labs develop for their own use. Those are up to the provinces and territories. The reply pointed to the Canadian Guidelines for Post COVID-19 Condition.
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House of CommonsClosed
e-6898: A national living benefit for disabled people
654 signaturesReply: June 11, 2026
Asked for a guaranteed income above the poverty line for disabled Canadians and seniors, protected from provincial clawbacks and tied to inflation.
Government reply: The Minister of Finance said income support for working age adults is mainly a provincial responsibility, and pointed to the Canada Disability Benefit and other existing programs.
Start your own House of Commons online petition
An official online petition gets a written reply from the government if it reaches 500 signatures. It’s free, and you can do it from home.
- Write your requestKeep it short and ask for one clear action from the federal government, such as funding, research or a national strategy.
- Find 5 supportersYou need five other people who are Canadian citizens or residents to back your petition before it goes live.
- Get an MP to sponsor itAny Member of Parliament can agree to sponsor it. Your own MP is a good place to start.Find your MP (opens in a new tab)
- Collect 500 signaturesPetitions stay open for 30 to 120 days. With 500 signatures, your MP can present it and the government must reply in writing.How online petitions work (opens in a new tab)
Awareness days & months
These are good times to share your story, contact your MP or post about long COVID and related illnesses.
Long COVID Awareness Month
International Long COVID Awareness Day is on March 15.
International ME/CFS Awareness Day
A day to raise awareness of myalgic encephalomyelitis and post exertional malaise.
Dysautonomia Awareness Month
Raises awareness of POTS and other forms of dysautonomia, which can follow COVID-19.
Advocacy groups to follow
These groups run campaigns you can join, so you don’t have to organize anything yourself.
#MEAction
International advocacy for ME/CFS and long COVID, including the #StopRestPace campaign.
Visit #MEAction (opens in a new tab)Canadian Covid Society
Canadian advocacy on long COVID funding, with letter templates for MPs and provincial representatives.
Visit the society (opens in a new tab)National ME/FM Action Network
Canadian group supporting people with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia through advocacy and education.
Visit the network (opens in a new tab)Disability Without Poverty
Pushes for a stronger Canada Disability Benefit, which matters to many people unable to work because of long COVID.
Visit the campaign (opens in a new tab)Long COVID Web
A federally funded Canadian research network that includes people with lived experience of long COVID.
Visit Long COVID Web (opens in a new tab)Where it started: the 2020 open letter
In June 2020, Canadians living with long COVID wrote to the country’s public health officers asking them to recognize the illness. It was one of the first calls for recognition in Canada.
Keep exploring
Find a clinic
Long COVID clinics, rehab programs and phone lines by province.
Find a clinicGuides & resources
Guides to bring to your doctor, peer support, and help with work and benefits.
Explore resourcesStudies & trials
Research opportunities open to people living in Canada.
View studiesKids & long COVID
Research and support for children and their families.
Learn moreLong COVID advocacy in Canada: frequently asked questions
Is there a petition about long COVID I can sign in Canada?
As of September 26, 2026, there is no open House of Commons online petition about long COVID or ME/CFS. You can sign several open change.org petitions, including the petition to pause McMaster’s Lightning Process trial and the petition for children with long COVID. You can also start your own online petition.
Do petitions actually make a difference?
A House of Commons petition with enough signatures must get a written government reply. That puts the issue on the public record and shows where federal policy stands. For example, the reply to e-7076 set out federal long COVID funding. Petitions work best alongside letters to your MP and public awareness.
How do I start a House of Commons online petition?
Write a short request to the federal government, find five supporters who are Canadian citizens or residents, and ask an MP to sponsor it. Once it’s published, it stays open for 30 to 120 days. With 500 signatures, the MP can present it and the government must reply. See the steps.
How can I advocate if I have very little energy?
Pick one small action: sign a petition, send a template letter to your MP, or share this page. Advocacy groups like #MEAction and the Canadian Covid Society run campaigns you can join without organizing anything. Rest comes first. Pacing matters in advocacy too.
What has the federal government said about long COVID?
In an August 2026 reply to petition e-7076, the Minister of Health pointed to $9 million for clinical guidance, $20 million for the Long COVID Web research network, and CIHR research funding. The government supported the Canadian Guidelines for Post COVID-19 Condition. Health care services, including clinics and lab tests, are mainly run by the provinces and territories.
Why is this page about ME/CFS and POTS too?
Many people with long COVID also meet the criteria for ME/CFS or develop POTS and other forms of dysautonomia. These illnesses share symptoms, barriers to diagnosis and a lack of specialist care in Canada, so advocacy for one often helps the others.
Know of a petition or campaign I missed?
Tell me about Canadian petitions, letter campaigns or events for long COVID, ME/CFS and related illnesses, and I will add them here.
Please note: Long Covid Resources Canada is not affiliated with these petitions or groups, and listing them is not an endorsement. Petition details and signature counts were checked on September 26, 2026 and change often. Always read a petition before you sign it.
