Thank you very much.
I want to start by saying a big thank you to all of our witnesses today for discussing an important issue, to be sure, but also for sharing stories that are deeply personal. I know that it's not always easy to share in a public forum like this, so I thank you for having the courage to do that. I know that many Canadians who aren't here today will benefit from your willingness to share those stories.
Along that vein, Mrs. Renaud, I understand that you may be one of the first people ever with long COVID to be testifying before a parliamentary committee. I know you talked a little bit about being able to avail yourself of a short-term disability plan but not a long-term disability plan.
I know that there are insurance companies that aren't recognizing long COVID to the extent that they should, or in some cases at all, and that, even in the case where some companies are recognizing it, it can be difficult to get a diagnosis, particularly in part because Canada doesn't understand a lot about this condition. The world [Technical difficulty—Editor] respect of many other countries in terms of the work being done on this, but for those who got COVID and then have been subject to long COVID, if they got COVID before the testing regime was in place, a lot of them weren't able to get a positive diagnosis simply because the testing infrastructure didn't exist yet.
I'm wondering if you could speak a little bit to your own experience and the experience of other COVID long-haulers you know who have struggled to gain access to employer insurance plans.