The symptom list has been expanded days after officials ended free universal testing in England, reports New Scientist.
New Symptoms
Now, as 4.9 million people were estimated to be infected in the UK in the week ending 26 March, the NHS has expanded its symptom list to include:
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue or exhaustion
- Body aches
- A headache
- A sore throat
- A blocked or runny nose
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhoea
- Nausea or vomiting
This list more closely matches that of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recognised many of these symptoms early in the pandemic.
The NHS’ list stops short of some of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) symptoms, however, which also considers skin rashes, red or irritated eyes, or discolouration of the fingers or toes to be less common signs of infection. Chest pain, confusion, or a loss of speech or mobility can occur in severe cases, according to WHO.
Writing on Twitter, Tim Spector, lead scientist of the Zoe covid-19 symptom tracker app, said: “NHS official Main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) have finally changed after 2 years of lobbying and Zoe app user input – hurrah!”
“Many people are no longer isolating when they have symptoms, either because they feel they don’t have to anymore or because they or their employers still don’t recognise symptoms like runny nose or sore throat as covid,” he said.
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Source: News Scientist
