TL;DR — Quick Summary
- What this does: Establishes you contracted COVID-19 during service (the in-service event)
- What this does NOT do: Automatically grant service-connection for symptoms
- What to claim: "Residuals of COVID-19: [Your symptom(s)]"
- No rating for COVID itself: The virus is acute/non-chronic; you claim the lasting symptoms
- Eligibility period: Diagnosed during service OR within 14 days of separation
Important Distinction
You CANNOT get service-connection for COVID-19 itself! The virus infection is an acute non-chronic condition. This presumptive establishes that if you caught COVID-19 during certain time frames, it was caught during military service.
The VA STILL has the right to request medical opinions on whether your claimed symptoms are related to COVID-19.
How to Claim
When filing a claim for COVID-19 residuals, claim it as:
"Residuals of COVID-19: [Your symptom(s)]"
There is NO required percentage threshold for symptoms to obtain service-connection.
Eligibility
Eligibility Requirements
You MUST be diagnosed with COVID-19 DURING these periods of service OR within 14 days of separation.
Active Duty (AD)
- Served between March 1, 2020 to January 5, 2024
ADT, AGR (including Title 32), and IADT
- Served between March 13, 2020 to January 5, 2024
Additional Requirements
- Your period of service MUST be longer than 2 DAYS (if diagnosed during service)
- If service was shorter than 2 days AND you were diagnosed within 14 days of separation, you still qualify
- National Guard and Reservists do NOT need to supply a Line of Duty (LOD) if they have an eligible period of service
Common Residual Conditions
Established Symptoms & Residuals
See the CDC's list of COVID-19 symptoms for reference.