The long-lasting symptoms can affect around one in seven people who test positive for coronavirus, and is known as long Covid.
A new survey from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released today (1 September) shows that more than 400,000 people in the UK have had long Covid for over two years.
A total of two million people across the country are estimated to be suffering from long Covid, according to the survey.
Some 429,000 – the equivalent of around one in five (22%) – first had Covid-19, or suspected they had the virus, at least 24 months previously.
The number of people with long Covid who first had the virus at least one year ago is estimated to be 892,000, or 45% of the total.
The figures are based on self-reported long Covid from a representative sample of people in private households in the four weeks to 31 July.
Researchers are still learning about the long-lasting effects, but these are the most common symptoms of long Covid that have been reported so far.
9. Joint pain
The NHS says that many joint and muscle problems after Covid improve quite quickly, and that when people are unwell, they are less active which can lead to joint and muscle pain. Photo: Shutterstock
10. Depression and anxiety
Research published in the European Respiratory Journal showed that those living with long Covid are at “significant risk of experiencing depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)”. Photo: Shutterstock
11. Tinnitus and earaches
Dr Akrami, from the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, says that “tinnitus and other sensorimotor symptoms are all common, and may point to larger neurological issues involving both the central and peripheral nervous system”. Photo: Shutterstock
12. Feeling sick
The NHS says that feeling sick, experiencing diarrhoea, stomach aches and loss of appetite are all common symptoms of long Covid. Photo: Shutterstock