Rich countries face Covid-related costs for 20 more years, says OECD

The health and economic impacts from Covid-19 will likely continue for another two decades, according to a report out today from the world’s wealthiest countries. The pandemic saw rates of smoking, drinking alcohol and unhealthy eating rise, while care for people with chronic diseases was interrupted. All of which continues to add pressure to today's economies and health systems, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said in its report . And while countries continue to feel the squeeze on their budgets from Covid, they also face a one-in-two chance of another pandemic of a similar scale over the next 25 years.