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Nearly one in 10 folks (9.1%) in England suppose they might have lengthy COVID however aren’t certain, in keeping with a brand new evaluation of NHS England survey knowledge by the College of Southampton.
Researchers additionally discovered that 4.8% of individuals reported having lengthy COVID, with larger charges amongst folks residing in disadvantaged areas, folks with explicit ethnic backgrounds, mother and father or caregivers, and people with one other long-term situation.
The findings of “Exploring Long COVID prevalence and patient uncertainty by sociodemographic characteristics using GP Patient Survey data” are revealed within the journal Well being Expectations.
Professor Nisreen A Alwan, who has pioneered analysis into lengthy COVID since 2020 and who co-authored the examine, stated, “This evaluation provides additional proof of the unfairness of lengthy COVID, with people who find themselves already deprived in society extra prone to be affected.
“It additionally exhibits us that many individuals aren’t certain if they’ve it, and may have analysis, remedy and assist.
“Long COVID is still a very significant issue impacting individuals, families, the economy and wider society. We need to do more to prevent it, diagnose it, and properly support people who are affected by it.”
Lengthy COVID is a persistent situation induced by COVID-19 an infection that may have a big impression on folks’s day by day lives. Signs embody fatigue, feeling in need of breath, ‘mind fog’, and coronary heart palpitations, amongst many others.
College of Southampton researchers analyzed over 750,000 responses to the GP Affected person Survey (England) 2023 to discover the prevalence of lengthy COVID, and the elements related to each having the situation and being unsure of getting it.
They discovered that individuals aged below 25 years, males, folks from explicit ethnic minorities, and folks with out long-term circumstances have been extra prone to be uncertain if they’d lengthy COVID.
Males are usually much less prone to search medical recommendation than girls, which may partly clarify their larger degree of uncertainty. The staff additionally say stigma and self-doubt may discourage folks from searching for a analysis.
Mirembe Woodrow, who’s finding out for a Ph.D. at Southampton and who carried out the evaluation, stated, “We have been actually shocked to search out so many individuals weren’t certain whether or not they had lengthy COVID or not, and the examine exhibits there may be nonetheless work to do to extend consciousness of the situation and take away limitations to accessing analysis, remedy and assist.
“We don’t want long COVID to be another factor that contributes to the widening health gap in the UK.”
The newest knowledge from the 2024 GP Affected person Survey signifies lengthy COVID prevalence and uncertainty are usually not declining (5.0% and 9.0%). Professor Alwan’s staff intends to hold out additional work utilizing the survey to know what might be driving inequality in prevalence, impression and assist for lengthy COVID.
Extra data:
Exploring Lengthy Covid prevalence and affected person uncertainty by sociodemographic traits utilizing GP Affected person Survey knowledge, Well being Expectations (2025). DOI: 10.1111/hex.70202
Supplied by
College of Southampton
Quotation:
Survey exhibits practically 1 in 10 uncertain if they’ve lengthy COVID (2025, March 17)
retrieved 17 March 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/information/2025-03-survey-unsure-covid.html
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