Long Covid Continues To Affect More Than A Million People In UK

6th January 2022

Long COVID continues to affect more than a million people.
6 January 2022

An estimated 1.3 million people (2%) in private households in the UK reported having long COVID in the four weeks to 6 December 2021.

Of people with self-reported long COVID, 21% (270,000 people) first had (or suspected they had) coronavirus (COVID-19) less than 12 weeks previously.

Those who first had (or suspected they had) COVID-19 at least 12 weeks previously made up 70% (892,000 people), and 40% (506,000 people) first had (or suspected they had) COVID-19 at least one year previously.

Of the proportion of people with self-reported long COVID whose symptoms adversely affected their day-to-day activities, 20% reported their ability to undertake day-to-day activities had been "limited a lot".

Fatigue continued to be the most commonly reported symptom, applying to 51% of those with self-reported long COVID. This was followed by 37% with loss of smell, 36% with shortness of breath and 28% who had difficulty in concentrating. The proportions amount to more than 100% because some people have experienced more than one symptom.

As a proportion of the UK population, prevalence of self-reported long COVID was greatest in people aged 35 to 69 years, females, people living in more deprived areas, those working in health care and social care, and those with another activity-limiting health condition or disability.

Those in teaching and education also showed greater prevalence of self-reported long COVID. This represents the biggest month-on-month increase out of all employment sectors.

Around 1 in 50 people in the UK were experiencing self-reported long COVID.

An estimated 1.3 million people in private households (2.0% of the population) were experiencing self-reported long COVID as of 6 December 2021.

Of those reporting long COVID symptoms, 4 in 10 (40%) were experiencing these symptoms for at least a year after the first (suspected) infection.

Symptoms adversely affected the day-to-day activities of around two-thirds (64%) of those with self-reported long COVID.

Fatigue (51%), loss of smell (37%), shortness of breath (36%) and difficulty concentrating (28%) remained the most common long COVID symptoms experienced.

Self-reported long COVID was more common in those aged 35 to 69 years, females, people living in more deprived areas, those working in health or social care or teaching and education, and those with another health condition or disability.

From the Office for National Statistics
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/articles/coronaviruscovid19/latestinsights