Warning as experts say new covid symptom is ‘more common than loss of smell’ as UK cases rise

1 in 65 people in England were thought to have the virus in the most recent week of data

Brits are being warned about a new covid symptom which has appeared amid rising cases in the UK, with doctors predicting a flu and covid “twindemic” in the coming months.

Experts have long identified a high temperature, a new and continuous cough, or a loss of sense of taste and smell as the main symptoms of coronavirus.

But one professor has claimed that the government guidelines about symptoms are wrong, as a sore throat is one of the new dominant symptoms, which seems to be more common than the loss of taste or smell.

Professor Tim Spector, co-founder of the Covid Symptom Study app told The Independent: “It looks like we’re in the start of the next wave and this time it’s affected older people slightly earlier than the last wave. Many people are still using the government guidelines about symptoms which are wrong.”

JOE contacted the government’s Department of Health for comment, who pointed out that a sore throat is listed as a symptom of Covid on the NHS website, and that the symptoms are not ranked.

Spector said that the virus currently starts in two-thirds of people with a sore throat, while fever and loss of smell are “really rare”. He worries that old people might not think they’ve got covid, and won’t get tested.

And as covid rates rise in the UK, particularly amongst older people, the professor worries the number of hospitalisations will also increase. Though he did point out that cases amongst the youngest age group are showing early signs of slowing, and given that children tend to be “a leader of infection trends” it is possible that this wave might not be as bad as predicted.

Covid cases still rising and due to hit 200,000 daily new cases but colds are even more common now and rising even faster- maybe we lost some of our cold immunity? pic.twitter.com/b2XfTo4JDt

— Tim Spector MD (Prof) (@timspector) October 1, 2022