THE UK health secretary has urged people to follow the rules and protect themselves and others from Covid-19, as new data and film reveal the devastating long-term impact of the virus.
Matt Hancock has said that irrespective of the seriousness of the
initial symptoms, long Covid can have lasting and debilitating impact on people.
The film on long Covid featurs Piyush Madhani,38, who explains how his life has been affected - weeks and months after being diagnosed with Covid -19.
“I get short of breath easily and find it difficult to climb the stairs and play with my 3 year old daughter," he said.
The film, as part of the national Hands, Face, Space campaign, calls on the public to continue to wash their hands, cover their face and
make space to control the spread of the virus.
A study by King’s College London, using data from the Covid Symptom Study App and ZOE, has revealed that one in 20 people with Covid-19 are likely to have symptoms for 8 weeks or more.
It suggests long Covid affects around 10 per cent of 18-49 year olds who become unwell with the disease.
Public Health England has found that around 10 per cent of Covid-19 cases who were not admitted to hospital have reported symptoms lasting more than four weeks and a number of hospitalised cases reported continuing symptoms for eight or more weeks after discharge.
"The findings from researchers at King's College London are stark and this should be a sharp reminder to the public – including to young people – that Covid-19 is indiscriminate and can have long-term and potentially devastating effects," said Hancock.
The symptoms of ‘long Covid’ include fatigue, protracted loss of taste or smell, respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms and mental health problems.
The NHS has recently announced £10 million funding to run designated long Covid clinics across England where specialists and GPs will help assess, diagnose and treat people with these symptoms.
Dr Farzana Hussain GP at the Project Surgery said: “Most people recover from Covid-19 without needing specialist treatment and for the majority symptoms will clear just after 14 days. However, for
some the symptoms continue for weeks and months, if people are suffering with breathlessness, muscular pain and fatigue then they must speak to their GP and get a diagnosis”
For more details, speak to your GP, call 111 or check the Your Covid Recovery website
India's foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar spekas during a joint news conference with Russia's foreign minister during their meeting at Zinaida Morozova's Mansion in Moscow on August 21, 2025. (Photo by ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)