A new study suggests long Covid is costing the economy billions every year due to lost working days.

The research, involving the University of Southampton, was published in BMJ Open and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

It assessed the impact of long Covid on more than 4,000 patients referred to long Covid clinics and registered in the Living With Covid Recovery programme from August 2020 to August 2022.

Led by University College London, the study found long Covid's economic burden is mainly due to productivity losses, averaging £931 per patient per month over six months.

This figure was calculated using the national average hourly pay (£13.57) and the average weekly working hours (33.9 hours).

Dr Katherine Bradbury, a behavioural scientist at the University of Southampton and digital health lead for NIHR ARC Wessex and co-investigator of the study, said: "Long Covid is causing an extensive burden on patient health which will have a profound impact on the economy.

"The wider impact on society is greater than previously predicted, bringing significant losses not just to individuals, but to the country as a whole."

According to the Office for National Statistics, around two million people in the UK have long Covid.

Patients tracked their symptoms using a mobile app as part of their treatment.

They completed questionnaires on the app regarding the impact of long Covid on their daily activities, levels of fatigue, brain fog, quality of life, relationships, and work ability.

The study revealed that, on average, patients referred to long Covid clinics in the UK showed little improvement in daily activities, fatigue, quality of life, and work ability six months after seeking help.

Nearly three quarters of participants who initially reported lost working days continued to do so at six months.

More than a third of these patients were completely unable to work.

The study also found that around half of long Covid patients had severe functional impairment at six months, highlighting the ongoing challenges in long Covid recovery.

The research was a collaboration between University College London, the University of Exeter, Barts Health NHS Trust, and Living With, as well as the University of Southampton.