10,000 people in Sheffield have long Covid, say health chiefs, as new warning is issued

The figure was revealed as NHS bosses urged people to get their coronavirus vaccinations to protect themselves from falling seriously ill with the disease.

NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group said: “Around 10,000 people in Sheffield have long covid, including plenty of young people. Avoid long covid. Get your jab today.”

Long Covid is when people experience persistent Covid-19 symptoms lasting for more than 12 weeks, and even people who only have mild symptoms at first can develop long-term problems ranging from extreme tiredness and shortness of breath to depression, anxiety and impotence.

A study in June found that more than two million adults in England may have had long Covid.

In Sheffield, the latest Government data shows that 77 per cent of people aged over 16 have had at least one jab, with 68.9 per cent having received both doses.

That is significantly below the national rate of 88.6 per cent and 79.4 per cent, respectively.

The latest Covid-19 infection rate for Sheffield is 321.8 new cases per 100,000 people for the seven days ending on August 29, up slightly from 309.2 the previous week.

That is slightly below the UK rate of 351.9 but above the England average of 302.7.

The number of Covid-19 patients being treated by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals stands at 88, as of August 31, including 14 people in mechanical ventilation beds. Patient numbers had been rising steadily but appear to have levelled off over the last couple of weeks.