Since the pandemic began over 750,000 people have been hospitalised with COVID-19. Of that total many of died, but most have survived. While this is positive, it has been shown just under a third of those who lived are fully recovered from the virus. This equates to just 29 percent of patients.
This is a dramatic finding of a survey looking into the impact of long Covid in the UK.
Lead by a team of doctors and scientists from Leicester University, they also found men recovered faster than women.
Of the thought provoking results one of the study’s authors Rachael Evans said: “Given that more than 750,000 people have been hospitalised in the UK with COVID-19 over the past two years, it is clear from our research that the legacy of this disease is going to be huge.”
In the aftermath of such shocking results, the team have said there is an urgent need to treat long Covid.
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Professor Christopher Brightling said: “Without effective treatments, long Covid could become a highly prevalent long-term condition.”
According to data from the ONS, around 1.7 million people currently live with long Covid in the UK, the equivalent of around one in 70.
Commenting further on the findings Ms Evans added: “We found that only 25 percent of people who had been hospitalised with COVID-19 had fully recovered five months after they had been discharged, a figure that increased only slightly – to 29 percent – after a year.
“That was a very limited rate of recovery in terms of improvements in mental health, organ impairment and quality of life.”
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Covid’s impact on the lungs is well-known, but its impact on the heart was less well understood until recently.
Research published in the journal Nature found even people with a mild case of Covid saw their risk of heart disease rise substantial.
The British Medical Journal wrote, based on the data, those who experienced a mild case of COVID-19 had a:
• 72 percent increased risk of heart failure
• 63 percent increased risk of heart attack
• 52 percent increased risk of stroke.
As time goes on it is highly likely the UK will see a steep rise in the number of people suffering from long Covid.
The UK has experienced one of the worst responses the pandemic in Europe with criticism about late lockdowns and decisions not being based on scientific evidence.
It was for this reason that the removal of all restrictions was criticised.
The latest Covid guidance is available on the Government’s website.
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