Researchers at King's College London have found that the risk of developing Long Covid dropped by up to half for millions of Brits during the Omicron wave of coronavirus infection in the first quarter of 2022, as new less-lethal but more infectious sub-variants of the virus emerge.
Long Covid is an as-of-yet unexplained continuation or development of typically covid-related symptoms for more than four weeks after the initial infection, with many sufferers describing long periods of muscle fatigue and chronic exhaustion to varying severities. For some, focussing on day-to-day tasks becomes difficult due to "brain fog", while others report extreme shortness of breath during minor activities, even months later.
Academics at King's College analysed the self-reported ZOE Health App data of around 100,000 Brits, comparing the frequency with which people developed Long Covid in the peak of 2021's Delta variant wave, with the peak of 2022's Omicron wave. The scientists found that just 4.4 per cent of Omicron cases developed into Long Covid, while 10.8 per cent of Delta sufferers saw their symptoms persist for over a month.
Want to get the latest health news direct to your inbox? Sign up for the Mirror Health newsletter HERE
Despite this lower prevalence in Omicron infections, the sheer size of the December 2021 to March 2022 Covid wave caused the total number of Long Covid sufferers to increase by 700,000 to more than two million, or more than one in 35 of the population.
Research into this chronic condition has been sparse so far, with medical scepticism and no agreed international definition of the long-term illness making it difficult to collect accurate data. However, this data released by ZOE alongside qualitative work from King's College researchers forms the first large-scale peer-reviewed study into the condition in the world.
With positive coronavirus cases rising by 23 per cent this week to 2.7 million, that is another 400,000 people who are likely to develop a long-term or chronic condition after or as a continuation of a covid infection.
Dr Claire Steves from King’s College London who was the lead author of the letter says: "The Omicron variant appears substantially less likely to cause Long-COVID than previous variants but still 1 in 25 people who catch COVID-19 go on to have symptoms for more than four weeks.
"Given the numbers of people affected it is important that we continue to support them at work, at home and within the NHS."
