Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the prevalence of long-covid in people under the age of 18.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that during the week commencing 27 December 2020, 301,000 people in England had symptoms that had persisted for between five and 12 weeks. The ONS found that 22.1% of people testing positive for COVID-19 exhibit symptoms for a period of five weeks or longer. That percentage is lower for those between the ages of two and 11 years old (12.9%) and 12 to 16 years old (14.5%).

NHS England and NHS Improvement are developing a case definition and model of care for children with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.