Employers should support staff who catch the Omicron and other variants of Covid-19 as early as possible as long Covid can arise from even initially mild infections.
The advice came from Working To Wellbeing managing director Julie Denning in the wake of a week in which Covid infections in the UK hit new highs driven by the Omicron variant which now accounts for 70% of cases in London.
The variant is also sweeping across the world with fresh lockdown restrictions being implemented in the Netherlands and cases rising across Europe and North America.
Denning, who spoke to Health & Protection, praised the insurance sector for the way it has responded to the pandemic in ensuring long Covid sufferers get the the vocational and rehabilitation support they need.
But she added that Covid-19 severity does not necessarily relate to a long Covid diagnosis.
“For example, we have many people in our service who were not hospitalised. We know with other variants that long Covid can quite easily arise from a very mild initial infection,” she said.
“It may turn out that initial Omicron infection is a mild illness, but we have nothing to tell us how this might relate to long Covid occurrence from this variant.
“The important thing is that we are prepared that this should be the case and intervene and support people as early as possible in their symptom experience.”