Some 140k in London suffer long COVID symptoms

About 140,000 residents in London have suffered from COVID-19 symptoms after contracting the disease amid warning of healthcare "gaps" that could leave them struggling to get support, a media report said.

It came in a letter from the London Assembly to Mayor Sadiq Khan seeking assurances that the British capital's health system has the capacity to cope with the long-term consequences of the pandemic, Xinhua news agency quoted the Evening Standard newspaper report as saying on Sunday.

About one in five people who have contracted Covid-19 suffer symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness and "brain fog" for 12 weeks or more, according to the London-based newspaper.

Early research suggested younger people and those whose illness was not serious enough to require hospital admission were more likely to suffer long Covid-19 symptoms.

A total of 698,405 Londoners have been diagnosed with the disease, meaning about 139,681 will be facing or have suffered long-term consequences, the newspaper said.

In the letter, the Assembly warned that "gaps" in healthcare provision could result in long Covid-19 patients struggling to obtain support.

"Some people experiencing long Covid have been unable to work or walk 10 metres without needing to take a break. Our city must be prepared to treat those who are experiencing prolonged symptoms," Onkar Sahota, who chairs the Assembly's health committee, told the newspaper.

At least 10 long Covid-19 clinics have been established in London, including at University College London Hospitals, Imperial College Healthcare and St George's, the newspaper said.