Long Covid

You are far more likely to suffer long-term symptoms from Covid 19 than you are to die from the disease. Long Covid is the persistence of reported symptoms for more than four weeks after the first suspected infection that is not explained by something else.

But it can last much longer than four weeks (see below) and is something employers will have to take on board in their response to both short-term, intermittent and longer-term illness.

Of an estimated 1.5 million affected by the end of January 2022, 344,000 (22%) first had or suspected they had Covid-19 less than 12 weeks previously but for 1.1 million (71%) it was at least 12 weeks previously; within that 685,000 (45%) at least one year previously.

The prevalence of self-reported long Covid is greatest among people aged 35 to 49 years; women; people living in more deprived areas; those working in health care, social care, or education; and those with another activity-limiting health condition or disability.