UK

1.1 million Britons recently reported having long COVID

1.1 million people in private households in the UK have reported having long COVID, latest estimates show.

The data from the Office for National Statistics defined the condition as symptoms that lasted more than four weeks and are self-reported, rather than clinically diagnosed.

Of the 1.1 million, 674,000 people were thought to have symptoms that affected their daily life, with 196,000 estimated to have their ability to undertake everyday tasks limited a lot.

The figures were reported over a four-week period to 6 March.

There is no universally agreed definition of long COVID, but it covers a broad range of symptoms such as fatigue, muscle pain, and difficulty concentrating.

A report out last week revealed that seven in 10 people taken to hospital with COVID-19 have not fully recovered after five months.