Pretty shocking data from the ONS on long COVID released just now- the 4 wk long COVID estimates will include infection until end of Dec, so including the first two wks after omicron became dominant. There are clear increases in prevalence being seen already.🧵
Overall prevalence has increased to 1.5 million when considering 28 day definition - that means *2.4%* of our population. That's 1 in 42 people having persistent symptoms for 4 wks or more currently. If you consider the 12 wk definition it's still v. high- 1.7%.
685,000 people estimated to have now had persistent symptoms for *more than one year*. ~ 1 million say this affects their day to day activity to some extent. So very functionally relevant, and longstanding symptoms in a very large population.
Who is being affected? Young people, poor people, and those in high-exposure occupations- greatest prevalence (approaching 4%) in teaching and health and social care occupations. 
Children also affected - 119,000 children now with long COVID based on 28 day definition of whom 21,000 now have had persistent symptoms for *more than a year*.
I cannot believe that we're essentially completely ignoring a condition that's affected 1.5 million people, of which 700,000 people affected now for more than a year. Ignoring long COVID will be our undoing- given the huge impact it's clearly having.
Even from a purely economic standpoint, if that's all policy makers care about, this is hugely significant. Even if they don't care about people's health, they should care about this because it'll have long-lasting impacts on human resource & economy.
And remember the full impact of the omicron wave hasn't been felt in these estimates yet. That'll only be known in the coming months.
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