Selected cohort characteristics
| Total | Test-confirmed COVID-19 | ||
| No | Yes | ||
| n (%) | 15 227 (86.7) | 14 781 (97.1) | 446 (2.9) |
| Age, n (%) | |||
| 16–29.99 years | 576 (3.8) | 550 (3.7) | 26 (5.8) |
| 30–39.99 years | 988 (6.5) | 941 (6.4) | 47 (10.5) |
| 40–49.99 years | 1787 (11.7) | 1693 (11.5) | 94 (21.1) |
| 50–59.99 years | 3361 (22.1) | 3226 (21.8) | 135 (30.3) |
| 60–69.99 years | 5105 (33.5) | 5008 (33.9) | 97 (21.7) |
| ≥70.00 years | 3410 (22.4) | 3363 (22.8) | 47 (10.5) |
| Age, years | 59.4±13.4 | 59.5±13.4 | 53.3±13.2 |
| Sex, n (%) | |||
| Female | 10 630 (69.8) | 10 301 (69.7) | 329 (73.8) |
| Male | 4597 (30.2) | 4480 (30.3) | 117 (26.2) |
| Ethnicity, n (%) | |||
| White | 14 449 (94.9) | 14 046 (95.0) | 403 (90.4) |
| Mixed/multiple/other ethnic groups | 401 (2.6) | 382 (2.6) | 19 (4.3) |
| South Asian | 281 (1.8) | 263 (1.8) | 18 (4.0) |
| Black/African/Caribbean/black British | 96 (0.6) | 90 (0.6) | 6 (1.3) |
| Country of residence, n (%) | |||
| England | 13 463 (88.4) | 13 052 (88.3) | 411 (92.2) |
| Northern Ireland | 294 (1.9) | 281 (1.9) | 13 (2.9) |
| Scotland | 915 (6.0) | 910 (6.2) | 5 (1.1) |
| Wales | 555 (3.6) | 538 (3.6) | 17 (3.8) |
| Household income sufficient for basic needs, n (%) | |||
| Yes | 14 209 (93.3) | 13 793 (93.3) | 416 (93.3) |
| Mostly/sometimes/no | 1016 (6.7) | 986 (6.7) | 30 (6.7) |
| Housing, n (%) | |||
| Owns own home | 9326 (61.3) | 9137 (61.8) | 189 (42.4) |
| Mortgage | 3743 (24.6) | 3570 (24.2) | 173 (38.8) |
| Privately renting | 1069 (7.0) | 1029 (7.0) | 40 (9.0) |
| Renting from council | 477 (3.1) | 461 (3.1) | 16 (3.6) |
| Others | 610 (4.0) | 582 (3.9) | 28 (6.3) |
| Number of people per bedroom, n (%) | |||
| ≤0.50 | 5836 (38.6) | 5738 (39.1) | 98 (22.3) |
| >0.50–0.99 | 4179 (27.6) | 4069 (27.7) | 110 (25.0) |
| 1.00–1.99 | 4766 (31.5) | 4553 (31.0) | 213 (48.4) |
| ≥2.00 | 333 (2.2) | 314 (2.1) | 19 (4.3) |
| Highest educational level attained, n (%) | |||
| Primary/secondary | 1649 (10.8) | 1598 (10.8) | 51 (11.4) |
| Higher/further (A levels) | 2233 (14.7) | 2164 (14.7) | 69 (15.5) |
| College | 6720 (44.2) | 6523 (44.2) | 197 (44.2) |
| Postgraduate | 4610 (30.3) | 4481 (30.3) | 129 (28.9) |
| Occupational status, n (%) | |||
| Employed | 5349 (35.1) | 5091 (34.4) | 258 (57.8) |
| Self-employed | 1369 (9.0) | 1330 (9.0) | 39 (8.7) |
| Retired | 6951 (45.6) | 6856 (46.4) | 95 (21.3) |
| Furloughed | 365 (2.4) | 348 (2.4) | 17 (3.8) |
| Unemployed | 267 (1.8) | 254 (1.7) | 13 (2.9) |
| Other | 926 (6.1) | 902 (6.1) | 24 (5.4) |
| Frontline worker, n (%) | |||
| No | 12 474 (82.0) | 12 198 (82.6) | 276 (61.9) |
| Other frontline worker | 1572 (10.3) | 1492 (10.1) | 80 (17.9) |
| Health or social care worker | 1167 (7.7) | 1077 (7.3) | 90 (20.2) |
| Body mass index, n (%) | |||
| <25 kg/m2 | 7431 (48.9) | 7254 (49.2) | 177 (39.8) |
| 25–30 kg/m2 | 4829 (31.8) | 4661 (31.6) | 168 (37.8) |
| >30 kg/m2 | 2929 (19.3) | 2829 (19.2) | 100 (22.5) |
| Self-reported general health, n (%) | |||
| Excellent | 3071 (20.2) | 2982 (20.2) | 89 (20.0) |
| Very good | 6024 (39.6) | 5850 (39.6) | 174 (39.0) |
| Good | 4048 (26.6) | 3928 (26.6) | 120 (26.9) |
| Fair | 1633 (10.7) | 1581 (10.7) | 52 (11.7) |
| Poor | 449 (2.9) | 438 (3.0) | 11 (2.5) |
| Tobacco smoking history, n (%) | |||
| Never smoker | 8529 (56.0) | 8282 (56.0) | 247 (55.4) |
| Ex-smoker | 5862 (38.5) | 5697 (38.5) | 165 (37.0) |
| Current smoker | 836 (5.5) | 802 (5.4) | 34 (7.6) |
| Alcohol consumption in week prior to questionnaire completion, n (%) | |||
| None | 4271 (28.1) | 4152 (28.1) | 119 (26.7) |
| 1–7 units | 5406 (35.5) | 5244 (35.5) | 162 (36.3) |
| 8–14 units | 2961 (19.4) | 2876 (19.5) | 85 (19.1) |
| 15–21 units | 1417 (9.3) | 1366 (9.2) | 51 (11.4) |
| 22–28 units | 657 (4.3) | 640 (4.3) | 17 (3.8) |
| >28 units | 513 (3.4) | 501 (3.4) | 12 (2.7) |
| COVID-19 vaccine during follow-up, n (%) | |||
| No | 14 529 (85.7) | 12 675 (85.8) | 365 (81.8) |
| Yes | 2416 (14.3) | 2106 (14.2) | 81 (18.2) |