Concerns raised over care for those with ‘long Covid’

TENS of thousands of people with so-called “long Covid” have had symptoms of illness for more than three months, reports suggest.

Professor Tim Spector, who is leading the Covid Symptom Study app, said that 60,000 people have been ill for more than three months.

While some people have a mild form of illness, others have been seriously affected.

People affected with long-term symptoms have described how they have been previously fit and healthy and now they are confined to a wheelchair.

Breathlessness and fatigue have been reported by long-term sufferers and some have described how doing shopping or climbing stairs can leave them bed-ridden for days.

Prof Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, told BBC Radio 4’s File On 4 that data from the app shows that around 300,000 people have reported symptoms lasting for more than a month – so-called “long Covid”.

Up to 60,000 people reported having symptoms for more than three months.

Yesterday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that some people were still experiencing symptoms six months after contracting the virus.

Speaking on LBC radio, Mr Hancock said: “Long Covid, where people six months on are still ill, is prevalent among younger people.”

But Prof Spector said he is “frustrated” that data from the app is not being more widely used.

“There’s a big danger these [people] might end up being forgotten,” he told File On 4.

It comes as new guidance published on the Government website sets out some of the long-term health effects for some people who have had Covid-19.

The guidance states that around 10% of mild coronavirus cases who were not admitted to hospital have reported symptoms lasting more than four weeks.

And a number of people admitted to hospital reported continuing symptoms for eight or more weeks following discharge.

Persistent health problems following acute disease have included: respiratory symptoms and conditions such as chronic cough and shortness of breath; lung problems including inflammation and scarring; and heart issues including chest tightness, heart failure and scarring.