The number of Britons living with long Covid stands at its highest level since official statistics on the phenomenon were first collected a year ago.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics published on Thursday showed an estimated 1.7mn people, or 2.7 per cent of the UK population, reported experiencing symptoms lasting for more than four weeks after they had, or suspected they had, the disease as of March 5. This represents a slight rise from 2.4 per cent about a month earlier.
According to Imperial College London’s React-1 study, the latest UK infection levels are more than 40 per cent above the previous high point during the first wave of the Omicron variant in January, due in part to a waning in the protection offered by vaccines.