Long Covid misery 5 months on

SEVEN in ten Covid patients still suffer debilitating symptoms five months after leaving hospital, a study has revealed.

Middle-aged women are worst affected by long Covid and nearly one in five patients developed a new disability, the research found.

More than 300,000 Britons survived after being hospitalised with the virus but experts warned the majority have not yet recovered.

A fifth of those hospitalised had to give to give up their jobs, and common persistent symptoms include muscle pain, memory loss and fatigue.

The study, led by the University of Leicester, analysed 1,077 patients who were discharged after being treated for Covid.

It found the patients had an average of nine persistent symptoms five months after being sent home.

The most common complaints included impaired sleep quality, joint pain or swelling, limb weakness and breathlessness.

White, middle-aged women were the most likely to suffer long-term effects, which experts said could be linked to differences In their immune system.

The study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research and not yet published, found that one in four patients had anxiety and depression. One in ten had post-traumatic stress disorder.

Patients who had mechanical ventilation take longer to recover, the study found. And millions who had Covid but were not hospitalised are also at risk of long Covid, it suggested.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘I know long Covid can have a lasting and debilitating impact on the lives of those affected and I’m determined to improve the care we can provide.’

Weak limbs and breathlessness