Table 3.
Changes from 2019 to 2020 in numbers of new episodes of sickness absence during weeks 21–29 by category of sickness absence, according to whether individuals had new COVID-19 sickness absence during weeks 11–18 of 2020
| Category of sickness absence | No new COVID-19 sickness absence during weeks 11–18 of 2020 | New COVID-19 sickness absence during weeks 11–18 of 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number in 2019 | Number in 2020 | Percentage changea (95%CI) | Number in 2019 | Number in 2020 | Percentage changea (95%CI) | |||
| All categories | 195 563 | 151 106 | −22.7 | (−23.2 to −22.2) | 22 627 | 18 899 | −16.5 | (−18.1 to −14.8) |
| All categories except COVID-19 | 195 563 | 140 839 | −28.0 | (−28.5 to −27.5) | 22 627 | 16 690 | −26.2 | (−27.7 to −24.7) |
| Asthma | 791 | 685 | −13.4 | (−21.8 to −4.1) | 94 | 96 | 2.1 | (−23.2 to 35.7) |
| Back problems | 8798 | 8605 | −2.2 | (−5.1 to 0.8) | 1061 | 1017 | −4.1 | (−12.0 to 4.5) |
| Blood disorder | 574 | 378 | −34.1 | (−42.2 to −25) | 66 | 49 | −25.8 | (−48.7 to 7.4) |
| Cancer | 990 | 620 | −37.4 | (−43.4 to −30.8) | 63 | 58 | −7.9 | (−35.6 to 31.5) |
| Cardiac and circulatory | 2279 | 2114 | −7.2 | (−12.6 to −1.6) | 287 | 289 | 0.7 | (−14.5 to 18.6) |
| Chest and respiratory | 6183 | 2836 | −54.1 | (−56.1 to −52.0) | 680 | 462 | −32.1 | (−39.6 to −23.5) |
| Cough, flu | 25 165 | 5766 | −77.1 | (−77.7 to −76.4) | 2945 | 637 | −78.4 | (−80.1 to −76.4) |
| Dental and oral problems | 3059 | 2600 | −15.0 | (−19.3 to −10.4) | 359 | 329 | −8.4 | (−21.1 to 6.4) |
| Ear, nose, throat | 8111 | 4858 | −40.1 | (−42.2 to −37.9) | 963 | 519 | −46.1 | (−51.6 to −40.0) |
| Endocrine, glandular problems | 799 | 564 | −29.4 | (−36.6 to −21.4) | 88 | 90 | 2.3 | (−23.8 to 37.2) |
| Eye problems | 2578 | 1814 | −29.6 | (−33.7 to −25.3) | 300 | 187 | −37.7 | (−48.1 to −25.2) |
| Gastrointestinal problems | 44 211 | 29 352 | −33.6 | (−34.6 to −32.6) | 5106 | 3335 | −34.7 | (−37.5 to −31.8) |
| Genitourinary, gynaecological | 7103 | 5656 | −20.4 | (−23.1 to −17.5) | 861 | 671 | −22.1 | (−29.5 to −13.8) |
| Headache, migraine | 15 617 | 17 038 | 9.1 | (6.8 to 11.5) | 1745 | 2015 | 15.5 | (8.3 to 23.1) |
| Infectious diseases | 1505 | 1313 | −12.8 | (−19.0 to −6.1) | 185 | 141 | −23.8 | (−38.8 to −5.1) |
| Injury, fracture | 5922 | 5212 | −12.0 | (−15.2 to −8.7) | 712 | 597 | −16.2 | (−24.8 to −6.5) |
| Mental health | 16 126 | 18 673 | 15.8 | (13.4 to 18.3) | 1848 | 2119 | 14.7 | (7.7 to 22.0) |
| Nervous system disorders | 974 | 843 | −13.4 | (−21.1 to −5.1) | 108 | 107 | −0.9 | (−24.2 to 29.4) |
| Other musculoskeletal disorders | 12 639 | 10 492 | −17.0 | (−19.1 to −14.8) | 1643 | 1256 | −23.6 | (−29.0 to −17.7) |
| Pregnancy-related disorders | 3569 | 3669 | 2.8 | (−1.8 to 7.6) | 130 | 410 | 215 | (159 to 28) |
| Skin disorders | 2051 | 1845 | −10.0 | (−15.5 to −4.2) | 197 | 221 | 12.2 | (−7.4 to 35.9) |
| Other and unknown | 26 519 | 15 906 | −40.0 | (−41.2 to −38.8) | 3186 | 2085 | −34.6 | (−38.1 to −30.8) |
aCalculated as 100*(Number in 2020 – Number in 2019)/Number in 2019.