Tackling the effects of long COVID in the workplace 11 February 2021: Employers are increasingly having to assess employees diagnosed with ‘long COVID’ to determine if they are classed as disabled for employment law purposes and make reasonable adjustments to assist those suffering from the condition.
The development follows growing evidence of long COVID in the UK, where those who have had COVID-19 continue to suffer health issues such as chronic fatigue, breathing problems and stress after their initial symptoms have disappeared.
Figures suggest that long COVID has a higher prevalence among those of working age. It affects around 10% of 18–49-year-olds who become unwell with COVID-19, rising to 22% of over 70s, according to research conducted by King s College London. Women are 50% more likely to suffer from long COVID than men (14.5% compared with 9.5%).