Urgent warning of long Covid symptoms as number of cases rise in UK

Urgent warning of long Covid symptoms as number of cases rise in UKResearch continues to be carried out on long Covid, which occurs when the symptoms of Covid last longer than 12 weeks, and can be particularly debilitating and unpleasantCommentsNewsBradley Jolly Overnight News Editor01:08, 21 Apr 2026View ImageA woman struggles with breathlessness (file image)(Image: Getty Images/Collection Mix: Subjects RF)Doctors have reminded Brits of the main symptoms of long Covid as cases continue to rise.‌More than two million people in the UK are living with long Covid, which expert have described as "the forgotten epidemic". It occurs when the symptoms of coronavirus last longer than 12 weeks.‌And numbers continue to swell as the Covid virus continues to circulate globally. With this in mind, health authorities have made a Covid booster vaccination available this spring for three groups of people, including residents in care homes for older adults and adults aged 75 years and older by June 30, 2026.‌But they have also warned Brits of the symptoms of long Covid, in order for everyone to spot these early on. Mark Faghy, a professor of clinical exercise physiology at Loughborough University, said signs include brain fog, breathlessness, joint and muscle pain.READ MORE: Anyone who had Covid could have disease ‘signature’ in their bloodREAD MORE: RSV risk slashed by pregnancy vaccine as hospital admissions cut by 80 per centWhat is long Covid and what are the known symptoms?Post-exertion malaise is another sign and this, according to Prof Fagby, is "a flare-up of symptoms following minimal physical, mental or emotional activity". The academic added: "For some, walking upstairs, having a shower or even the psychological drain of a conversation can trigger a relapse and the after-effects can last weeks."‌The Daily Mail reports the syndrome "hasn't gone away". Danny Altmann, a professor of immunology at Imperial College London, told the...