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KEY DATA 2021

Physical health conditions

Although the years 10-24 tend to be a time of good physical health, many young people will experience a range of short term physical health problems.  A significant minority will have long-term chronic conditions or some kind of disability.

Young people aged 16-20 are the group most likely to be diagnosed with asthma

Covid-19

By March 2021, young people 10-24 had accounted for 19% of positive Covid-19 test results in England (chart 4.17). This was before the third wave in the summer of 2021, and only reports on tests that were registered.

17 By March 2021, young people 10-24 had accounted for 19% of positive Covid-19 test results in England

estimated 3.9 million 15-24 year olds had contracted Covid-19Summer 2021 saw a third wave, and by July 2021 nearly 3.9 million 15-24 year olds had contracted Covid-19, accounting for 28.3% of all cases in England.

Children and young people seem generally to have had less severe Covid-19 symptoms than adults (Swann et al, 2020; Gotzinger et al, 2020), apart from a particular multisystem inflammatory syndrome potentially affecting a very small number (RCPCH, 2020). There were thankfully very few deaths of children and young people, as Chart 4.18 demonstrates.

By March 2021, young people 10-24 had accounted for 0.08% of Covid-19 deaths in England

The risk of long-covid (self-reported, of any duration) increases with age up to 70, and to date it seems that young people are less at risk than those in middle age. In July 2021, ONS (2021) estimated that approximately 0.5%-1.2% of young people aged 10-24 are living with long covid by their own self-definition; approximately 90,000 out of 11.7 million.

Approximately 1% of young people age 10-24 in the UK report having long-covid

 

 

 

 

All data correct as of 1st November 2021

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