COVID cases have risen by 30 per cent in the UK, with millions now having been struck down with the bug.
As we head into winter, many are also likely experiencing coughs and sniffles – making it hard to tell if you actually have the virus or the common cold.
If you've had the virus before, then you might think you'd know exactly what to look out for.
But as strains have evolved and changed over the last two years, so have the symptoms.
Data from the ZOE Symptom Tracker app states that there are 20 symptoms Brits should be on the lookout for.
- Sore throat – 63.55%
- Runny nose – 53.04%
- Headache – 53.02%
- Blocked nose – 52.47%
- Cough no phlegm – 52.06%
- Sneezing – 47.02%
- Cough with phlegm – 45.79%
- Hoarse voice – 43.86%
- Muscle pain aches – 29.46%
- Fatigue – 22.97%
- Dizzy light headed – 21.11%
- Altered smell – 19.82%
- Swollen neck glands – 17.72%
- Eye soreness – 16.41%
- Chest pain tightness – 16.26%
- Shortness of breath – 15.9%
- Loss of smell – 14.45%
- Earache – 13.96%
- Chills or shivers – 12.98%
- Joint pain shoulders – 11.08%
Read more on Covid-19
Covid deaths start to rise as Brits told ‘stay away from elderly if you’re ill’
Urgent warning to anyone who’s had Covid over devastating side effect
On Friday, official data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), revealed that 1.7million Brits currently have the bug, up from 1.3million last week.
Last week, one in 50 people had the bug, this has now risen to one in 35.
Figures from the team at ZOE also state that there are around 235,829 new daily symptomatic cases of Covid in the UK.
This is up almost 34 per cent from 176,090 daily cases two weeks ago, figures from ZOE shows.
Most read in Health
First-ever cancer vaccine could be ready in months, scientists say
Boots worker experiences what life's like in menopause & brands it 'torturous'
Covid cases jump 30% to 1.7million – as map reveals 10 worst Omicron hotspots
The first warning sign you’ve got Covid revealed – would you spot it?
As testing is no longer free, it can be difficult to know whether or not you have the bug.
So if you have a sore throat, there's a big chance it's Covid – but it could also just be a sore throat which is usually caused by viruses like the cold or flu, or because of smoking.
Very occasionally, the NHS said that sore throats can also be caused by laryngitis, tonsillitis, strep throat or glandular fever.
As people continue to fall ill, medics have urged Brits to stay away from elderly friends or relatives in order to prevent the illness being passed on.
Dr Mary Ramsay, Director of Public Health Programmes at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: "There are early indications that deaths with Covid-19 have also started to rise.
"Whilst this is concerning, it is too early to say whether these are deaths due to Covid-19 and it is reassuring that at this stage there is no overall excess mortality.
“If you are unwell or have symptoms of a respiratory infection, it is particularly important to avoid contact with elderly people or those who are more likely to have severe disease because of their ongoing health conditions.
“Wearing a face covering will also help stop respiratory infections spreading.”
Since the Omicron wave took hold in the UK last year, the majority of people who get the bug are experiencing common cold like signs.
This strain has been proven to be milder than those that have come before it such as Delta and Alpha.
The spread of the bug may also be slower due to a mammoth vaccine rollout and the fact that many people have already been infected.
With one in 35 now having the bug, one expert warned that people need to once again start to take precautions.
Professor Denis Kinane, immunologist and Founding Scientist, Cignpost Diagnostics said this includes using facemasks and avoiding crowded indoor events.
He added: "As long as a portion of the population remains unvaccinated, the virus will continue to mutate, and we could see newer and more potent strains emerge.
Read More on The Sun
Tom Parker’s wife breaks down as clip of her late husband plays at NTAs
Cheapest time to run appliances revealed – including with British Gas and EDF
"The ending of universal free testing and the lack of a baseline surveillance system at our borders has severely reduced the UK's capability to identify, analyse, and stem the spread of future variants.
"This has inevitably deterred many from getting tested, and it is likely we will see infections spread rapidly as people will not be aware that there are infected."
Source: Read Full Article