Long Covid costing UK workers around £1.5bn yearly in lost income: Study

The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down a bit over time but the impacts of long Covid can still be found among people all around the world. With more people suffering from long Covid, the impact on health as well as economy has been significant in recent times. According to new research, since 2020, the loss amounts to around £1.5 billion a year in total for British workers.

It further states that around 110,000 workers in the United Kingdom showed symptoms of long Covid, and it has resulted in a loss of earnings amounting to around £1,100 ($1,320) each. Due to the persistent symptoms, people have lost significant amount of time and it has adversely affected their economic conditions.

Long covid is the name given to the scenario where an individual keeps experiencing symptoms for more than four weeks after the initial infection, according to the World Health Organisation.

The research, which was conducted by Institute for Fiscal Studies, also said that one in 10 people suffering from long Covid had to lose out on significant earnings due to the long leaves.

“The impact of long Covid has continued to grow over time, with almost 2 million now suffering from the condition,” Tom Wernham, a research economist at the IFS, told Bloomberg.

“For a significant minority of long Covid sufferers, the condition has severe effects not only on their health but on their ability to do paid work,” he further explained in the research report.