The World Health Organization lists 13 symptoms of coronavirus, while the NHS lists three. The UK public are paying a heavy price for this discrepancy, warned Professor Tim Spector, co-founder of the ZOE Covid symptom study on Sky News. “We have been saying this for over a year now and it is disappointing that we are still saying it now.”
He was drawing on data submitted to the ZOE Covid symptom study, which has more than four million subscribers.
Data from the app shows that the previous “traditional” symptoms as still outlined on the government website, such as anosmia (loss of smell), shortness of breath and fever rank much further down the list, at 11, 29 and 12 respectively.
Curiously, the team also noticed that people who had been vaccinated and then tested positive for COVID-19 were more likely to report sneezing as a symptom compared with those without a jab.
“If you’ve been vaccinated and start sneezing a lot without an explanation, you should get a COVID test, especially if you are living or working around people who are at greater risk from the disease,” they advised.
How to respond
If you have any of the main symptoms of COVID-19, even if they’re mild, get a PCR test (test that is sent to a lab) to check if you have COVID-19 as soon as possible.
You and anyone you live with should stay at home and not have visitors until you get your test result – only leave your home to have a test.
Anyone in your childcare or support bubble should also stay at home if you have been in close contact with them since your symptoms started or during the 48 hours before they started.
A support bubble is where someone who lives alone (or just with their children) can meet people from one other household.