Long Covid symptoms explained as more than 200 signs reported by Brit patients

04 November 2023 , 08:03

966     0

Long Covid symptoms explained as more than 200 signs reported by Brit patients

Nearly two million people who have endured long Covid have reported more than 200 symptoms in the UK as fears heighten that the infection will increase in winter.

Struggling patients say they have experienced difficulty sleeping, heart palpitations and hair loss as some of the symptoms, according to research published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in July. A previous study published in the Lancet discovered that the condition has an estimated 203 ailments affecting 10 organs in the bodies of patients from over 50 countries.

It has been reported that such side effects have hit an estimated 1.9 million people in the UK. Sadly, 1.5 million people shared that the symptoms have impacted their everyday lives. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, one in 10 long Covid patients are forced to give up their jobs at a cost of £1.5 billion in lost earnings each year.

Long Covid symptoms have been reported by patients with a huge list (Getty Images)

The NHS has highlighted symptoms such as tiredness, shortness of breath and muscle aches as more common, reports Independent. However, there are fewer known effects such as tinnitus, brain fog, depression and anxiety. According to the Lancet study, the most common symptoms that were present after six months were linked to fatigue and problems with brain function.

The findings concluded that long Covid patients have reported “prolonged, multisystem involvement and significant disability”. A more recent study, by a team at Imperial College London has discovered that one in 20 patients have symptoms that continue for over a year. There is currently no cure for long Covid, which can affect each individual differently.

Teachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decade

Below the ONS has listed the self-reported long Covid symptoms in the UK

• Abdominal pain
• Allergies
• Chest pain
• Cough
• Diarrhoea
• Difficulty concentrating
• Ear pain
• Eyesight
• Fever
• General pain
• Hair loss
• Headache
• Joint pain
• Loss of appetite
• Loss of smell
• Loss of taste
• Low mood or not enjoying
• Memory loss or confusion
• Mobility
• Muscle ache
• Nasal congestion
• Nausea or vomiting
• Wheezing
• Numbness
• Palpitations
• Runny nose or sneezing
• Shortness of breath
• Skin rash/itch
• Sore throat
• Tinnitus
• Trouble sleeping
• Vertigo or dizziness
• Weakness or tiredness
• Worry or anxiety

Monica Charsley