More than one in six people in parts of Greater Manchester have Long Covid - rates in full, by area

More than one in six patients in some parts of Greater Manchester have Long Covid - with the north west's figures the highest in the country, data has revealed.

A new report by Health Equity North has revealed striking inequalities in rates of Long Covid across the country, with a clear North-South divide.

Their analysis of GP Patient Survey data from 2022 found the North West had the highest number of people reporting Long Covid symptoms - at 5.5 per cent - followed by the North East and Yorkshire at 5.1 per cent.

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In some Greater Manchester GP practices, more than one in six patients, around 18 per cent, reported having Long Covid - including Leigh Family Practice in Wigan and The Avenue Medical Centre in Manchester.

The regions with the lowest rates were the South West (3.4 per cent) and the South East (3.6 per cent). The average for England as a whole was 4.4 per cent.

See the figures for your GP surgery using our interactive gadget:

Long Covid includes physical, cognitive and mental impairments, with brain fog, fatigue, breathlessness, low mood, and depression among the most common symptoms.

Across England, 1.9 million people were experiencing a myriad of self-reported Long Covid symptoms as of March 2023, with 79 per cent saying it has had a negative impact on their day-to-day activities.

Fatigue was named as the most common symptom, and over half reported reduced functionality in their everyday activities, which resulted in their inability to return to work.

Many of the people involved in the research had been demoted, fired, forced to resign or switch to part-time work because of Long Covid.

The report’s