Over two million people in England may have had long Covid, study shows

A UK government-funded research has revealed that over two million people in England may have had one or more Covid-19 symptoms lasting at least 12 weeks. 

According to the REACT-2 study, this amounts to 5.8 per cent of the whole study population with two per cent reporting severe symptoms. 

The prevalence of long Covid increased with age and was higher among women, it added.

To understand long-term effects of Covid-19, the government started a £50 million research funding through the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to help ensure the best treatments are available, an official statement said.

The study is based on self-reported data from 508,707 adults aged 18 and above who took part in REACT-2 rounds three to five carried out between September 2020 and February 2021.

Around a fifth of those surveyed reported having had a Covid-19 symptom previously, with over a third reporting persistent symptoms lasting at least 12 weeks, a statement said.

Around a tenth of those with symptoms said they lasted at least 12 weeks and were severe.

The study has revealed that long Covid increases with age, with a 3.5 per cent increase in likelihood in each decade of life, and is higher among women, people who are overweight or obese, who smoke, live in deprived areas, or had been admitted to hospital.

However, persistent Covid-19 symptoms were lower in people of Asian ethnicity.

“Long Covid can have a lasting and debilitating impact on the lives of those affected. Studies like this help us to rapidly build our understanding of the impact of the condition and we are using these findings and other new research to develop support and treatments," said health secretary, Matt Hancock said:

“We are learning more about long Covid all the time and have made £50 million of research funding available to support innovative projects, with clinics established across the country to help improve the treatment available.”

The NHS has opened over 80 long Covid assessment services across England and last week the NHS published a £100m plan to expand support, including £30 millionm to help GPs improve diagnosis and care for patients with long Covid.

Professor Paul Elliott, director of the REACT programme at Imperial, said: “Our findings do paint a concerning picture of the longer-term health consequences of Covid-19, which need to be accounted for in policy and planning. Long Covid is still poorly understood but we hope through our research that we can contribute to better identification and management of this condition, which our data and others’ suggest may ultimately affect millions of people in the UK alone.”

People with persistent symptoms fell into two broad groups. In the first, the most common symptom was tiredness and muscle aches. In the second, shortness of breath affecting normal activities, tightness in chest, and chest pain were reported.

Because many of the symptoms are common and not specific to Covid-19, it may overestimate the prevalence of persistent symptoms following Covid-19, the statement further said.

But, It adds to the growing body of evidence, including similar research from King's College London and University College London.