Covid Scotland: One in 20 had long Covid during 2021, research shows

One in 20 adults (5 per cent) in Scotland had long Covid last year, new research shows.

The Scottish Health Survey found 1 per cent of adults reported the condition limited their activities a lot.

In 2021, 5 per cent of those questioned reported having symptoms of long Covid at least four weeks after they first developed coronavirus.

The most common symptom was weakness/tiredness, with 63 per cent of sufferers reporting this.

One in 20 adults in Scotland had long Covid last year, new research shows.

The next most common symptoms were shortness of breath (43 per cent), trouble sleeping (37 per cent), loss of smell (34 per cent), headache (31 per cent), difficulty concentrating (29 per cent) and worry/anxiety (27 per cent).

The study also found that the proportion of adults who reported having long Covid differed with age and was highest amongst those aged 35-64 (6-7 per cent).

It was lowest amongst the youngest and oldest age groups, affecting 1 per cent of children, and 2 per cent of those aged 16-24 and those aged 75 plus.

Women were slightly more likely than men to experience symptoms of long Covid (5 per cent of women compared with 4 per cent of men).

Last year, adults with long Covid had “significantly lower” mental wellbeing than those who did not, the survey found.

The annual Scottish Health Survey is published by the Scottish Centre for Social Research and the Scottish Government, providing a detailed picture of the health of the Scottish population.

In 2021, 4,557 adults and 1,600 children took part in the survey.