Aviva has reported soaring demand for long Covid support from its income protection (IP) intervention and rehabilitation services.
Long Covid support overtook cancer and musculoskeletal conditions to become the second most common cause of early intervention and rehabilitation for group income protection (GIP) customers in 2021.
The insurer revealed mental health continued to be the area where most support was required with 52% of all GIP cases referred to it for either early intervention or rehabilitation for this reason.
Long Covid (13%) was followed by support for musculoskeletal (10%) and cancer (10%) – which had been the most commonly supported conditions behind mental health. Neurological conditions accounted for 4% of referrals and other conditions were amounted to 11%.
For individual IP, long Covid (12%) was the fourth most common condition requiring support after mental health (30%), musculo-skeletal (26%), cancer (16%). Again, neurological conditions (6%) and other conditions (11%) completed the list.
Vast majority return to work
It said 84% of GIP customers who received help for long Covid returned to or remained in work – and 88% of those who returned to work did so within their policy’s deferred period – most commonly 26 weeks.
Meanwhile 91% individual IP customers needing long Covid support returned to work.
Aviva introduced its long Covid IP claims pathway in August 2020 for individuals and group scheme members.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) defines post Covid-19 syndrome as symptoms that develop during or after an infection consistent with Covid‑19, continue for more than 12 weeks and are not explained by an alternative diagnosis.
Symptoms of long Covid have been identified as fatigue, breathlessness or shortness of breath, difficulty sleeping, anxiety and depression, heart palpitations, chest tightness or pain, joint or muscle pain, not being able to think straight or focus (‘brain fog’), change to sense of smell or taste and persistent cough.
Overall, Aviva said eight in 10 employees supported by GIP, whatever the condition, either remained at or returned to work, as did 78% of individual IP customers.
Fran Bruce, managing director of protection at Aviva, (pictured) said: “Most people of working age will recover from Covid-19 within a few weeks but after three months some sufferers will continue to have symptoms.
“It is vital that these people are recognised as early as possible and given the appropriate rehabilitation support to improve their health and help them return to work.
“The severity of long Covid symptoms are often not related to the severity of the initial infection which makes early recognition and intervention even more important.”