One in five patients registered to a pair of GP surgeries in the north of England have long Covid, according to a report that lays bare stark regional inequalities.
The north-west of England had higher than average numbers of people reporting long Covid symptoms, with just over one in 20 people (5.5%), followed by the north-east and Yorkshire (5.1%).
Southern regions of England had the lowest rates overall, such as 3.4% in the south-west and 3.6% in the south-east. The average rate of long Covid across England was 4.4%.
According to the analysis, a fifth of patients at Parklands medical practice in Bradford and Margaret Thompson medical centre in Liverpool are living with long Covid, and the 10 GP surgeries with the highest prevalence of long Covid are in the north of England.
The report also found the prevalence of long Covid among the most deprived areas of England was 6.3%, almost double the rate in the least deprived areas.
Long Covid symptoms include extreme fatigue and brain fog that persist after 12 weeks of first contracting the virus.
Dr Stephanie Scott, the lead author of the report and senior lecturer in public health at Newcastle University, said: “Long Covid is a complex condition that goes beyond physical and mental symptoms, affecting other parts of people’s lives including their sense of self and professional identity. This can then lead to experiences of social isolation.
“Currently, there is little evidence-based treatment for long Covid and the health system focuses on symptom management. This needs to change. Our research has offered a glimpse into the reality of what it is like to live with this often-debilitating condition and the knock-on effects it has on people’s personal and professional lives.
“I hope that the evidence presented in this report cuts through to policymakers and gets the attention it deserves so more research into long Covid is funded, and so measures can be put into place which enables employers to better support their workforce with long Covid.”
Hannah Davies, the executive director at Health Equity North and deputy chief executive at the Northern Health Science Alliance, said: “Covid-19 hit the country unevenly with a disproportionate effect on northern regions – more people died, we spent more time in lockdown, had higher unemployment, and experienced a larger drop in mental wellbeing. Yet again, we are seeing the lasting impact of the pandemic being felt the hardest in the north of England.
“This pattern is reflected in our latest report which shows the north as having the highest rates of people experiencing long Covid. And it’s likely that these figures could be much higher as many people may not report their symptoms.
“The report provides a timely analysis of the health and economic repercussions of long Covid, which we hope will prompt action from government. The regional differences in rates of the illness and the relationship between deprivation is clear. It is also clear that more research needs to be done to understand this devastating condition so people can be diagnosed, treated and supported.”
NHS England has been approached for comment.