Monitoring the impact of Long COVID in the workplace
For some people, coronavirus (COVID-19) can cause symptoms that last weeks or months after the infection has gone. This is sometimes called post-COVID-19 syndrome or ‘long COVID’.
Common long COVID symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain. It can also include brain fog, insomnia, joint pain, depression, earaches, and stomach problems.
How many people are affected by long COVID?
It is not known what causes long COVID, but the symptoms can adversely affect the capability of staff to do their job effectively.
The incidence of long COVID does not seem to be linked to how ill someone was when they contracted COVID-19.
The Office for National Statistics reports that over the four-week period ending 6 March 2021 an estimated 1.1 million people reported symptoms lasting more than four weeks after their first suspected COVID infections.
Within this there were 674,000 reports of long COVID adversely affecting the daily lives of individuals, with 196,000 stating that their activities were significantly impacted.
The ONS found that just over one in eight of those testing positive for COVID-19 experienced symptoms for at least twelve weeks. The age range of those most likely to experience long COVID are those aged 35 to 69 with women slightly more likely than men to get symptoms.
How should long COVID be dealt with by employers?
When monitoring long COVID, the approach should be the same as for any other long-term condition.
Employers should carry out a risk assessment, particularly if the symptoms are likely to impact on any safety critical aspects of operations, such as driving or operating machinery.
Staff should also be encouraged to access any support offered by GPs or the NHS, who are increasingly setting up services to manage this condition.