1856(6%) among 31486 participants that had a symptomatic infection of COVID-19 reported had not recovered at all on their most recent follow-up questionnaire and 13350(42%) reported they had only partially recovered after being infected with SARS-CoV-2 for 6 to 18 months. 13 % reported improvement over time and 11%deterioration.  The most common persistent symptoms are fatigue, headache, muscle aches, and weakness.

Scotland Study Outcomes

The symptomatic infection was associated with a wide range of persistent symptoms, impaired daily activities and reduced health-related quality of life, independent of sociodemographic factors and pre-existing health conditions. Bad recovery outcome is associated with more severe infection, older age, female gender, black and South Asian ethnic groups, deprivation, pre-existing respiratory disease and multimorbidity. 

Scotland Study Discussion

People vaccinated prior to infection of COVID-19 were less likely to report persistent change in smell, taste, hearing, confusion and more， which means they are less likely to get troubled by long COVID continuing symptoms. But vaccination's function on long COVID itself has still been controversive 

Vaccination On Long-COVID

33281 laboratory-confirmed COVID infections were followed-up via 6, 12 and 18-month questionnaires and linkage to hospitalization and death records to find out relationships between long COVID and possible factors such as age, gender, and previous health issues. Previous symptomatic infection was associated with persistent symptoms and poorer quality of life. Vaccination was associated with a reduced risk of seven symptoms.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Long covid itself may not be a disability but given its potentially debilitating effects on people’s lives, it can be disabling. Long covid symptoms may also constitute disabilities because of loss of human function or because of a persistent impairment that undermines a person’s quality of life. 
An employment tribunal in the UK has for the first time ruled that a person’s long-COVID is a disability protected by the Equality Act 2010 in July 29th, 2022. 

Long COVID in United Kingdom

Hastie, C.E., Lowe, D.J., McAuley, A. et al. Outcomes among confirmed cases and a matched comparison group in the Long-COVID in Scotland study. Nat Commun 13, 5663 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33415-5

Outcomes among confirmed cases and a matched comparison group in the Long-COVID in Scotland study

- here must be a physical or mental impairment 
- The disability lasts for longer than 12 months
- The disability causes a substantial impact on one's day-to-day activities 

The Equality Act and Long COVID-19

Long COVID has not been studied enough and people are not able to understand who with what symptoms can be defined as a patient with Long COVID disability. Clear clinical diagnostic criteria of COVID-19 can benefit patients with disabling sytmptoms in at least three ways:

Learn Before

Related

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