In pre-pandemic days, if you had a cold and a headache, you could treat it like a common cold and go about your life as usual, even if you felt tired or stiff. But during cold and flu season, how do you know for sure it’s a cold and not Covid-19?
The bottom line is you can’t. Because while the classic symptoms of a cold are headache, sore throat and runny nose, these symptoms are now also some of the main symptoms of Covid-19 infection.
However, the common cold is caused by a different strain of virus than Covid-19. Most coronaviruses, like the common cold, cause mild upper respiratory tract infections and produce relatively mild symptoms such as nasal congestion, headache and sore throat.
People infected with Covid-19 develop respiratory symptoms that may lead to coughing, hypoxia, difficulty breathing and fever. The infection can also lead to pneumonia, kidney failure and, in the most severe cases, death.
For most people, common cold symptoms typically peak within two to three days of infection, while the effects of Covid-19 appear two to 14 days after exposure.
Christine Marriott, chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health, said: “There is growing evidence that people who have received two doses of the vaccine generally have less severe symptoms, such as headaches, runny noses, sneezing, sore throats and loss of smell. .”
“It is important for fully vaccinated people to watch for cold-like symptoms and get tested if they live or work near someone who is at high risk for contracting the disease.”
Erin Peterson, professor of epidemiology and health informatics at University College London, added: “Runny noses and headaches are symptoms of many infections, but they can also be the first and only symptoms of coronavirus. So if you With these symptoms, I recommend using a rapid diagnostic test (immunochromatography) for a few days.”
“The first rapid diagnostic test may give a negative result, but if you are infected with COVID-19, your test may return a positive result a few days later. Additionally, if you know others around you have COVID-19, then There’s a higher chance that your runny nose or headache may also be caused by COVID-19.”
While the main symptoms of covid-19 that the government has us memorized are a high temperature, a new persistent cough and a loss or change in the sense of smell or taste, the delta variant, or Covid-19, that dominates the UK has, in addition to the usual symptoms, There are different symptoms.
The ZOE Covid-19 Symptoms Study (covid.joinzoe.com), funded by the UK Government, has identified the main symptoms associated with Covid-19 and says these will vary slightly depending on whether you have been vaccinated.
Headache
ZOE research shows that while headache is a little-known symptom of Covid-19, it is one of the first symptoms and is more common than typical symptoms such as cough, fever and loss of smell. Research has found that headaches caused by Covid-19 tend to be moderate to very painful, can be “twitching”, “pressing” or “tingling”, occur on both sides of the head rather than just one area, and can last longer. for longer than three days and often develops resistance to common painkillers.
runny nose
Last winter, ZOE research found that a runny nose was the second most common symptom after headaches, with nearly 60% of people who had lost their sense of smell and tested positive for Covid-19 also reported a runny nose.
But data now suggests the prevalence of the disease is the most important factor. Therefore, when the incidence of Covid-19 is high, the likelihood of Covid-19 causing a runny nose is also high. However, the study highlights that when Covid-19 incidence is low, a runny nose is less likely to be caused by Covid-19 and more likely to be caused by a cold or even allergies. The study concluded that although many people infected with Covid-19 report runny noses, it is difficult to call this a definite symptom because it is so common, especially in winter.
sneeze
The ZOE study found that for vaccinated people, sneezing more than usual could be a sign of Covid-19, although it stressed that sneezing is more likely to be a sign of a cold or allergies. He added that while many Covid-19 patients sneeze, “it’s not a clear symptom because sneezing is so common.”
sore throat
Many Covid-19 patients reported through the ZOE research app that they had a sore throat similar to a cold or laryngitis. Sore throats associated with Covid-19 tend to be mild and last no more than five days, while very severe sore throats that last longer may have other causes. If the problem persists, contact your GP. Although this can be a symptom of Covid-19, most people with a sore throat may just have a cold. Nearly half of Covid-19 patients report suffering from a sore throat, although the condition is more common among adults between 18 and 65 than older adults or those under 18, according to ZOE data.
Loss of smell
Regardless of a person’s age, gender or severity of illness, loss of smell remains the strongest indicator of Covid-19 infection. While people with Covid-19 may not completely lose their sense of smell, their sense of smell may be altered so you may not be able to smell strong aromas, and your sense of taste may also be affected so food and drinks taste different or appear tasteless.
persistent cough
A persistent cough is widely believed to be one of the three main symptoms of Covid-19, but according to ZOE research, only about four in 10 people infected with the virus suffer from this symptom. In this case, “persistent” means coughing multiple times a day, “for half a day or longer.” Coughs caused by Covid-19 are usually dry, which may indicate a bacterial infection, compared to a chest tight cough that produces phlegm or mucus. Persistent cough often appears a few days after the onset of the disease and usually lasts about four or five days.
Getting tested is crucial
If you’ve only received one dose of the vaccine, the ZOE study found the main symptoms are similar to those who received two doses, with coughing also being common. For unvaccinated people, symptoms are similar, with the addition of fever and cough. If you develop any symptoms, you should self-isolate at home and get a Covid-19 PCR test as soon as possible.
Alex Richter, professor of clinical immunology at the University of Birmingham, who is part of a team that developed a test to detect Covid-19 antibodies in people with mild symptoms, said: “It is impossible to differentiate between a cold and Covid. – 19 Clinical Affairs. They behave very similarly and only a PCR test can tell them apart. “Rapid diagnostic tests can help with detection, but if someone develops symptoms they should have a PCR swab test. “
Alan McNally, Professor of Microbial Evolutionary Genomics at the University of Birmingham and former Director of Infectious Diseases at Milton Keynes Lighthouse Laboratory, the UK Government’s first flagship Covid-19 testing facility, added: “If you have any symptoms of respiratory infection you should stay at home to avoid Prevent the spread and get tested. Attempting to self-diagnose will definitely cause Covid-19 case rates to spike again.”