Long Covid cases notified by employers with group income protection (IP) policies have surged over the past year, according to Aviva.

The company's data reveals that support for employees with Long Covid become the second most common cause of early intervention and rehabilitation for group Income Protection policies in 2021.

Long Covid formed 13% of all cases under group IP, followed by support for musculo-skeletal conditions (10%) and cancer (10%). These were previously the most common supported conditions after mental health. 

Mental health continued to be leading area for cases and where most support was required, with four times as many mental health cases from employers covered by Aviva than Long Covid cases.

Aviva said 52% of all its group IP rehabilitation cases were referred for mental health reasons in terms of group IP early intervention (preventing customers from sickness absence from work in the first place) and rehabilitation (providing support to enable them to return to or remain in work.)

For individual income protection policies, Long Covid (12%) was only the fourth most common condition requiring support after mental health (30%), musculo-skeletal issues (26%), cancer (16%), neuro (6%) and other conditions (11%.)

The rise in Long Covid cases suggests significant numbers of people are suffering with the condition and employers are having to deal with a rise in employees suffering long term issues from the Coronavirus.

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.

Aviva introduced its specialist Long Covid income protection claims pathway in August 2020 for individuals and group scheme members. 

The majority (84%) of group income protection customers who received Aviva’s support for Long Covid returned to or remained in work. Some 88% of those who returned to work did within their policy’s deferred period, most commonly 26 weeks.  

Meanwhile 91% of customers with individual income protection policies who received support for Long Covid returned to work.

Overall 80% of employees supported by Aviva’s Group IP rehabilitation support, whatever the condition, either remained at or returned to work. And 78% of customers with individual income protection policies either remained at or returned to work.

Fran Bruce, managing director of protection at Aviva, 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.”