- Michelle Roberts
- Health editor, BBC
Sore throats are the most common symptom of Covid-19 disease, according to data collected from 17,500 people who tested positive for the virus in Britain.
Headaches, stuffy nose, and cough are also very common symptoms.
High temperature or fever, loss of sense of smell or taste, were among the things classified by the National Health Service in Britain as prominent possible symptoms of Covid-19 infection, but they are less common.
The agency recorded other common symptoms, such as a change in the voice, sneezing, fatigue, muscle aches, and dizziness.
According to data from the Zoe app, which is used to track symptoms of COVID-19, the symptoms listed below are the most common, respectively:
- Sore throat – reported by 58 percent of sufferers.
- Headache – 49 percent.
- Nasal obstruction – 40 percent.
- Cough without sputum – 40 percent.
- Runny nose – 40
- Cough with sputum – 37 percent.
- Hoarse voice – 35 percent.
- sneezing – 32 percent;
- Fatigue – 27 percent.
- Aches, or muscle aches – 25 percent.
- Mild headache – 18 percent.
- Swollen glands of the neck – 15 percent.
- eye soreness – 14 percent;
- Variable odor – 13 percent.
- Pain and tightness in the chest – 13 percent.
- Fever – 13 percent.
- Chills or shivering – 12 percent.
- Shortness of breath – 11 percent.
- Earache – 11 percent.
- Loss of sense of smell – 10 percent.
These results are consistent with the findings of other researchers.
The results of the “React 1” study – the largest study conducted in England to monitor the population – which examines the spread of the virus that causes Covid-19, show that the symptoms experienced by people with the disease have changed with the development of the epidemic.
Scientists believe that the reason may be due to how the virus has changed or mutated over time.
Many variants of Covid have appeared since the outbreak of the original strain that appeared in Wuhan, China, the latest of which is the Omicron mutant.
React1 researchers, from Imperial College London, say that loss of smell and taste is less common with the Omicron mutant, and instead, sufferers report cold and flu symptoms.
These researchers studied the original omicron mutant (known as BA.1 and BA.2) that was circulating in March 2022.
Since then, two new rapidly spreading omicron mutant (BA.4 and BA.5) have spread, causing more new infections.
It is believed that an estimated 2.7 million people in Britain, or one in every 25 people, have Covid.
“Covid is still rampant in the population,” says Professor Tim Spector, who is overseeing the Zoe study.
“Even if people had an infection in the past and were fully vaccinated, they still contracted the virus,” he adds.
He continues: “Although we all want to make the most of good weather, people will need to decide for themselves whether going to big events, working from the office, or using crowded public transportation is worth the risk.”
Zoe’s study and ‘Rekat-1’ were both funded by the British government.