Risk of debilitating fatigue after covid-19 lasting years and implications for the UK workforce: evidence report for the House of Lords Select Committee on Risk Assessment and Risk Planning

The House of Lords must alert the government about evidence showing that “long covid” (which includes debilitating fatigue and negative health effects) might last for years among sufferers, posing a long-term risk to the nation’s workforce and economy. This report discusses evidence that viruses can trigger long-term fatigue that severely impairs the personal and occupational functioning of sufferers, including evidence from populations affected by SARSCoV-1 where 1 in 4 had debilitating chronic fatigue lasting over 4 years later. Due to post-viral chronic fatigue being a condition that can force people into becoming housebound or unable to work, the House of Lords must alert the government of the risks currently facing people within the UK who were infected with covid-19. Key points: (1) There is the risk of higher unemployment rates among people who had covid-19. (2) There is the risk of higher underemployment rates among people who had covid-19 e.g., more switching to part-time working or lower skilled jobs because of health problems. (3) There is the risk of future staff shortages in occupations with a high prevalence of covid-19