This article reflects on Long COVID, and argues that it should be recognised not only as a long-term health condition but also as a significant public health issue. In outlining these concerns, the authors also explore the wider social and health inequalities associated with Long COVID and the consequent implications for public health approaches relating to prevention, health promotion, and protection of vulnerable populations.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
GreenhalghTSivanMPerlowskiAet al. Long COVID: a clinical update. The Lancet2024;404:707–24.
2.
DavisHEMcCorkellLVogelJMet al. Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations. Nat Rev Microbiol2023;21:133–46.
WangHIDoranTCrooksM, et al. EPH11 prevalence, risk factors, and characterization of individuals with long COVID using electronic health records in over 1.5 million COVID cases in England. Value in Health2023;26:S204.
6.
ShabnamSRaziehCDambha-MillerH, et al. Socioeconomic inequalities of long COVID: a retrospective population-based cohort study in the United Kingdom. J R Soc Med2023;116(8):263–73.
7.
WoodrowMZiauddeenNSmithD, et al. Exploring long COVID prevalence and patient uncertainty by sociodemographic characteristics using GP patient survey data. Health Expect2025;28(2):e70202.
8.
MarraARKobayashiTCalladoGY, et al. The effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine in the prevention of post-COVID conditions: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of the latest research. Antimicrob Steward Healthc Epidemiol2023;3(1):e168.
9.
JayadevaSLuptonD.‘Most people with long COVID are their own doctors’: self-tracking and online patient groups as pathways to challenging epistemic injustice. Sociology. Epub 2025 July 20. DOI: 10.1177/00380385251351252.
10.
Al-OraibiAMartinCWoolfKet al. Prevalence of and factors associated with Long COVID among diverse healthcare workers in the UK: a cross-sectional analysis of a nationwide study (UK-REACH). BMJ Open2025;15:e086578.