• Home
  • COVID-19
  • Life
  • Critical illness
  • Income protection
  • Health
  • Employee benefits
  • Regulation
  • Diversity
  • Mental health
  • Events
  • Industry Voice
  • Newsletters
  • Sign in
  •  
    •  

      Personalise your on site experience.


      Download and use the apps.


      Access your subscription from outside of the office.


      Get relevant news and insight straight to your inbox.

      • Sign in
     
      • Account details
      • Contact support
      • Sign out
     
  • Follow us
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • Newsletters
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
  • Register
  • Events
    • Upcoming events
      event logo
      Mental Health & Wellbeing 360
      • Date: 25 Mar 2021
      • Digital Conference,
      View all events
      Follow our events

      Sign up to receive email alerts about our events

      Sign up

  • Industry Voice
Cover Magazine
Cover Magazine
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • Life
  • Critical illness
  • Income protection
  • Health
  • Employee benefits
  • Regulation
  • Diversity
  • Mental health
 
  •  

    Personalise your on site experience.


    Download and use the apps.


    Access your subscription from outside of the office.


    Get relevant news and insight straight to your inbox.

    • Sign in
 
    • Account details
    • Contact support
    • Sign out
 
  • Income Protection

Long Covid lasting 'at least six months'

Two thirds of survey respondents reveal

Long Covid lasting 'at least six months'
  • Adam Saville
  • Adam Saville
  • @AdSaville_COVER
  • 05 January 2021
  • Tweet  
  • Facebook  
  • LinkedIn  
  • Send to  
0 Comments

Memory and cognitive dysfunction found to be 'substantially' impacting ability to work

A study carried out by Patient Led Research for Covid-19 - a group of researchers who have also suffered from ‘Long Covid' themselves - has found that around 65% of Covid sufferers with symptoms lasting longer than 28 days experienced them for at least six months.

The survey of 3,762 people - aged 18 to 80-plus from 56 countries - who'd experienced Covid signs recorded 205 symptoms across 10 organ systems with 66 symptoms traced over seven months. On average, respondents experienced symptoms from nine organ systems, the study showed.

Related articles

  • Fifty Openwork advisers enroll for LIBF Certificate in Protection
  • Omnia Protect takes over Lifecover.com
  • Vitality to enter car insurance market
  • L&G launches 'sandwich generation' support service

Fatigue, post-exertional malaise, cognitive dysfunction (aka ‘brain fog'), neurological sensations, headaches, memory problems, insomnia, muscle aches, palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness/balance, and speech and language issues were found to be the most likely side-effects to last longer than six months.

As many as 86% of respondents said they had experienced relapses, often triggered by physical activity, stress, exercise and mental activity. Meanwhile, the existence of other less common symptoms, such as new allergies, facial paralyses, seizures, impaired vision or hearing were also highlighted by the study.

Memory and cognitive dysfunction, the most common neurological condition associated with Long Covid, was revealed to be substantially impacting respondents' ability to work. Experienced by more than 85% of respondents, the evidence suggests it is equally persistent across all ages.

The study, which has not been peer reviewed, also showed that 45% had reduced their work schedule compared to pre-Covid and around 22% said they were not working at the time of the survey due to health conditions.

Experts have warned that the majority of respondents - recruited from support groups - were English speaking, white and of higher socioeconomic status, so findings should not be treated as representative of the general population. Most participants reported having at least one pre-existing condition, such as allergies, migraine an asthma, while less than a third of respondents had a confirmed Covid-19 diagnosis.

One expert noted that people who recover from Long Covid are less likely to complete the survey, so this may have had a limiting effect on the data.

A study by the University of Brescia in Italy found that a third of 165 former Covid patients had problems six months after leaving hospital.

According to NHS England, it is expected that 45% of patients hospitalised for Covid will require ongoing support and the ONS has reported that, including non-hospitalised patients, Long Covid is thought to be affecting more than 180,000 people in the UK currently.

So far, three group income protection providers have introduced Long Covid support pathways. Read more.

Further reading

SPOTLIGHT: Long Covid
  • Underwriting
  • 24 November 2020
Insurers must prepare for 'Long Covid'
  • Group Protection
  • 02 December 2020
Healix introduces 'Long Covid' benefits for healthcare trust clients
  • PMI
  • 04 January 2021
Group IP providers offer Long Covid support pathways
  • Group Protection
  • 22 December 2020
  • Tweet  
  • Facebook  
  • LinkedIn  
  • Send to  
  • Topics
  • Income Protection
  • long Covid
  • Patient Led Research for Covid-19
  • cognitive dysfunction
  • six months
  • fatigue
  • brain fog

More on Income Protection

Suzy Esson has been appointed to the newly form role of director of operations at Holloway Friendly
Suzy Esson joins Holloway Friendly exec team

Newly formed role

  • Income Protection
  • 15 January 2021
MetLife launches simplified income protection policy

MortgageSafe has three levels of cover

  • Income Protection
  • 14 January 2021
Steve Bryan is director of distribution and marketing for The Exeter
Steve Bryan: Protecting income first

'Now is the time to really prioritise income first'

  • Income Protection
  • 06 January 2021
LV= loosens underwriting restrictions for FPP IP

‘More than 70% of cases accepted with no further evidence required’

  • Income Protection
  • 06 January 2021
Peter Le Beau, health and protection consultant
Peter Le Beau: awareness raising and the importance of momentum

'You need to look at what you've learnt and evolve the message for follow-on campaigns. Unless you do this, interest wanes'

  • Income Protection
  • 23 December 2020
blog comments powered by Disqus
Back to Top

Most read

Royal London adds 'innovative' Underwrite Later option
Royal London adds 'innovative' Underwrite Later option
ActiveQuote develops 'revolutionary' sales process
ActiveQuote develops 'revolutionary' sales process
Vitality to enter car insurance market
Vitality to enter car insurance market
Aviva set to continue working from home following pandemic
Aviva set to continue working from home following pandemic
Five HR changes to watch out for in 2021
Five HR changes to watch out for in 2021
  • Contact Us
  • Marketing services
  • About Incisive Media
  • Terms and conditions
  • Policies
  • Careers
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Newsletters
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

© Incisive Business Media (IP) Limited, Published by Incisive Business Media Limited, New London House, 172 Drury Lane, London WC2B 5QR, registered in England and Wales with company registration numbers 09177174 & 09178013

Digital publisher of the year
Digital publisher of the year 2010, 2013, 2016 & 2017
Loading