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Results out from the @ONS survey on Long COVID. These are from a general population survey, so including mild cases.
1 in 5 (20%) have symptoms >5 wks post acute infection
1 in 10 (10%) have symptoms >12 wks post acute infection
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1 in 5 (20%) have symptoms >5 wks post acute infection
1 in 10 (10%) have symptoms >12 wks post acute infection
Thread
Hospitalised patients when matched on age, ethnicity, sex, region, deprivation, smoking status, body mass index & pre-existing condition) are:
5x
risk of major cardiac events
2x risk of diabetes
4x risk of chronic kidney disease
4x risk of chronic liver disease
5x
risk of major cardiac events2x
risk of diabetes4x
risk of chronic kidney disease4x
risk of chronic liver disease
Common symptoms are fatigue, cough, headache, loss of taste and smell, muscle pains, sore throat, fever, breathlessness, and less commonly gut symptoms- nausea/vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.
Given this is a representative sample from the ONS, it should include children as well, although unsure about what subgroup analysis in this age group shows (the data are not currently shown by age). Would be important to see this.
Against a background of growing evidence of multi-organ damage among people with COVID-19, including those with mild infection, this is an important step in characterising how common clinical symptoms are among a representative group of people who were infected.
Another clear argument to not just focus on ICU capacity, and mitigation toward just staying under this target, but on zero covid strategies that minimise case numbers, and prevent infection in the first place.
Millions have been infected across the globe, and many thousands likely have debilitating long term symptoms. And the potential long-term risk on cardiac, renal and liver disease is concerning. This is not an infection we should let spread across the population.
It is very likely that over the next several years we will be dealing with the long-term morbidity due to COVID-19, which will sadly impact thousands. We don't have to wait for this to be fully recognised, to take preventive action. We have ample reason to be cautious.
