The NHS has expanded the official list of COVID-19 symptoms to include nine new ones. New symptoms include sore throat, lethargy, and headache.
According to NHS website, they join the three other symptoms of a fever, a new and persistent cough, and a loss or change in taste or smell.
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Extending the list may help minimise infections by allowing individuals to identify if they have Covid.
The number of persons infected with Covid has reached an all-time high in the United Kingdom, with about 5 million people expected to be sick.
The new signs are as follows:
- 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
The website adds that ‘the symptoms are very similar to symptoms of other illnesses, such as colds and flu.”
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It further advises that individuals experiencing these symptoms should ‘try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people’, as well as take ‘extra care’ to avoid interaction with anyone who is at higher risk of contracting the virus.
Since the virus’s emergence two years ago, the UK has had only three symptoms on the list, despite other organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States having longer symptom lists for some time.
The World Health Organization mentions 13 symptoms, four of which are not recognised by the NHS: a rash or discolouration of the fingers or toes, red or irritated eyes, loss of speech or mobility, and chest pain.
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Meanwhile, the symptom list on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website is identical to that on the NHS page, with the exception that it does not mention a loss of appetite.
However, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control specifies 12 symptoms, whereas Germany recognises 14.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Friday that 4.9 million people in the UK had COVID-19 in the week ending March 26, up from 4.3 million the week before. According to the ONS, one in every ten people is affected.
(With inputs from agencies)
