Omicron is now linked to 34% of all long Covid cases

By Make a Difference
7 September 2022

New data released recently by the ONS reveals a shocking 34% of long Covid sufferers developed their symptoms after catching Omicron. These new figures contradict assumptions that Omicron is significantly less severe than previous variants, says a leading testing expert.

Alarming new figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal 34% of all existing long Covid patients developed their symptoms after catching Covid-19 during the era of the Omicron variant.

Long Covid cases have also returned to a high of 2 million, after declining to 1.8 million in previous surveys.

The leading testing expert, Dr Quinton Fivelman PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at London Medical Laboratory, says:

‘UK Covid cases and hospital admissions continue to fall, but these latest ONS long Covid figures are a wakeup call. The dangers of the virus, even in its purportedly less severe Omicron form, remain significant.

‘Looking at these figures, though 45% of long Covid patients developed their symptoms at least one year previously, a worrying 253,000 (13%) reported they first caught Covid-19 less than 12 weeks previously. However, they have already developed long Covid symptoms significantly impacting their health and lives.

‘To put the numbers into focus, 29% of long Covid sufferers reported they first had Covid before the first wave of Alpha became the main variant; 256,000 (13%) during the Alpha period; 386,000 (19%) during the Delta period and a significant 681,000 (34%) during the Omicron period. Anyone thinking that Omicron variants are less likely to result in long Covid than previous Covid strains must think again.

‘Nor is the severity of long Covid symptoms decreasing. Chronic fatigue continued to be the most common issue (62%), followed by shortness of breath (37%), difficulty concentrating (33%) and muscle ache (31%).

‘The latest figures also reveal that you are more likely to develop long Covid if you are aged 35 to 69 years, a female and/or live in a more deprived area.

‘Covid may remain active in our bodies, in areas such as the gut, for extended periods of time, potentially causing a long-term, low-grade infection. This could well be the cause of long Covid. For this reason, at the beginning of June, London Medical Laboratory called for the Government to urgently consider vaccinating everyone over 50 this autumn. We are delighted it agreed to do this.

‘However, the Government must also ensure that all the top-up jabs administered are the latest versions ordered, which provide greater immunity to Omicron variants. Now we know the true scale of long Covid caused by Omicron, we should not continue using older vaccines that do little to combat the spread of Omicron, even if they do help reduce the severity of its initial symptoms.

‘Clearly, Covid still possesses the power to disrupt our lives and places a huge burden on an already struggling NHS and fragile British economy”.

If you would like to find out more about how you can support colleagues with Long Covid and other long-term mental and physical health conditions, sign up to attend the MAD World Summit where you can join a roundtable discussion on this topic. Dr Judith Grant will draw on her knowledge as a leading wellbeing practitioner, as well as her own personal experience of Long Covid. Roundtable participants will be able to share ideas around: working with a long-term health condition and the challenges of returning to work following absence, and the vocational support that employers can offer.

Receive Make A Difference News straight to your inbox

The MAD World Summit is taking place in Central London on 11th October. MAD stands for Make A Difference. Now in it’s 5th year, the Summit is the go-to solutions-focused conference and exhibition for employers who want to embed mental health and wellbeing as a strategic priority. Find out more and register here.

You might also be interested in: