By Samantha Jones-
The official list of COVID-19 symptoms has been expanded to include nine new signs of the disease including headaches, diarrhoea and a blocked nose.
The list was updated as COVID infection levels hit a record high in the UK, after recent figures revealed that almost five million people were estimated to be currently infected.
Professor Tim Spector, pictured)lead scientist of the Zoe COVID-19 symptom tracker app said updating the symptoms list was overdue and could help reduce infections.
week. Spector suggested that not acknowledging the wider list of ailments afflicting people with the virus, along with the decision to drop isolation advice and withdraw free testing, could have driven up transmission rates.
The extension comes just days after the government ended the offer of free universal COVID-19 tests, the potential implications being that fewer people will get tested unless they feel really ill.
Covid-19 in the Uk has taking a back seat in public discourse, ever since the British government fully restored freedoms to the public, after 2 years of uncertainties about lockdowns in the wake of high Covid infections and deaths. The topic has recently returned to the headlines, but at a much lower intensity than during lockdown times. Lockdown breaches by government ministers forming the partygate scandal has also played its part in minimising the importance of Covid-19 in the Uk, as opinions have now become divided as to whether the seriousness the killer virus was ever as serious as presented in the media, or whether it was simply a case of ministers not taking it seriously, and applying a one rule for us, and another rule for them.
On Friday the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said some 4.9 million people in the UK are estimated to have had COVID-19 in the week ending 26 March, up from 4.3 million in the previous week. The new symptoms have been added to the NHS website, alongside the three traditional symptoms of a fever, a new and persistent cough, and a loss or change in taste or smell. A note on the NHS website adds: “The symptoms are very similar to symptoms of other illnesses, such as colds and flu.”
Under the previous testing regime people would only qualify for PCR tests – those performed in a lab – if they had one of the three main traditional symptoms or if they had been invited to take a test. The new symptoms have been added to the NHS website, alongside the three traditional symptoms of a fever, a new and persistent cough, and a loss or change in taste or smell.
According to the NHS the signs of COVID-19 that people should look out for also include, shortness of breath, feeling tired or exhausted, an aching body, a headache; a sore throat; a blocked or runny nose; loss of appetite; diarrhoea; feeling sick or being sick.
A note on the NHS website adds: “The symptoms are very similar to symptoms of other illnesses, such as colds and flu.”
Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US have had longer symptom lists for some time.
But in the UK the NHS list had just three symptoms for almost two years.
Under the previous testing regime people would only qualify for PCR tests – those performed in a lab – if they had one of the three main traditional symptoms or if they had been invited to take a test.