Covid symptoms: 11 most common signs of coronavirus now Omicron is dominant in UK
The Omicron variant has been linked to different symptoms than previous Covid strains
The arrival of the Omicron variant in the UK has fuelled Covid-19 case rates, but it’s also had an impact on symptoms.
A high temperature, a new continuous cough, and a loss or change to sense of smell or taste have all been recognised as the three main signs of coronavirus infection over the past two years.
However, the Omicron variant is proving to cause different effects and symptoms may instead be confused with a common cold.
A total of 51.3% of people who have new cold-like symptoms are likely to have symptomatic Covid-19, according to the ZOE Covid study, with a runny nose, sore throat or headache among the most common signs of infection.
Tim Spector, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London and the scientist behind the ZOE Covid study app, has warned that people need to be aware of new symptoms that are emerging so they know when to take a test, as the government’s official list has not been updated since spring last year.
In a YouTube video, Prof Spector said: “A lot of the Omicron symptoms, the majority of them are looking like the common cold or some other viral illness, without any of the classic symptoms.
“Unfortunately the government hasn’t yet taken this on board and are one of the only government’s in the world not to tell its citizens what the symptoms are.
“But they are runny nose, headache, sneezing, persistent cough and sore throat. So do keep an eye out for them and try not to infect anyone else.”
If you are unsure of the main symptoms of Covid-19 beyond the ‘classic three’, listed are X of the most common warning signs that you should look out for.
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1. Runny nose
The ZOE Covid symptom app found nearly 60% of people who tested positive for Covid-19 with loss of smell during the recent winter wave reported having a runny nose as well. While a runny nose is common in winter, this symptom is thought to be a key sign of Omicron, so it is worth taking a test to be sure.
2. Headache
A headache is often one of the earliest signs of Covid-19 infection and can be more common than the ‘classic’ symptoms of a cough, fever, or loss of taste or smell. Researchers have found that people with coronavirus tend to have moderate to severely painful headaches, or feel pulsing or stabbing pains.
3. Sneezing
While sneezing can easily be confused as a sign of a cold, it could actually be a sign of Omicron Covid-19 infection. The ZOE Covid study found that people who have been vaccinated and then tested positive for coronavirus are more likely to report this symptom than those who have not had a jab.
4. Persistent cough
Widely recognised as one of the ‘classic’ Covid-19 symptoms, a persistent cough will typically affect around four in 10 people who test positive, according to the ZOE Covid study. Persistent means coughing many times a day, for half a day or more, and it will usually be very dry.