Even if the acute infection is over, the corona virus will not let go of many people. In April alone, two million patients suffer from Long Covid in the UK. That is 3.1 percent of the population.
Around two million Britons had Long Covid in April, according to the UK Statistics Office. This corresponds to around 3.1 percent of the population, as reported by the statistics authority. In the survey by the authority, people were considered to be affected by Long Covid if they said they still had symptoms four weeks after their infection that could not be attributed to other reasons.
A total of around 300,000 people were surveyed from April 4th to May 1st. According to the statistics, 71 percent of those affected by long-Covid stated that they were restricted or burdened by the symptoms in their everyday life, one in five said they were very severely restricted. More people were affected in health and care professions and in poorer regions than in others. Also, more women suffered from Long Covid than men. The most common symptoms included fatigue, followed by shortness of breath, persistent cough and body aches. More than 70 percent still felt symptoms more than twelve weeks after their infection.
The number of people with Long Covid is the highest since records began around a year ago, according to this statistic. At the time, it was estimated that one million people had persistent symptoms. There are now around 90 long-Covid clinics in England, focusing on treating symptoms and gradually increasing activity where possible.
Scientists continue to puzzle over what exactly causes Long Covid. The cause may lie in the reaction to the initial infection. In some patients, Covid kicks the immune system into overdrive, attacking not only the virus but also their own organs, causing permanent damage. The virus can also damage blood vessels and contribute to heart problems. There is evidence that the coronavirus causes "microclotting" in the blood, reducing the amount of oxygen being pumped through the body.
A recent US study certifies that people who have been infected with the corona virus are twice as likely to develop a pulmonary embolism or breathing problems later. Other consequential damage is also not uncommon after an infection, according to the study by the US health authority CDC. One in five of the 18 to 64-year-olds who had contracted Covid-19 suffered from long-term health problems. In the case of the over 65-year-olds it was even one in four. This ratio is in line with the results of previous studies, which estimated the number of ex-Covid patients with long-term symptoms, commonly referred to as Long Covid, to be around 20 to 30 percent.
