In a bid to help people distinguish between coronavirus and a common cold, scientists have revealed the ‘one’ symptom that sets the two apart.
Experts have warned of a crossover of symptoms for the past 18 months, making it difficult to tell the difference between the two illnesses.
Symptoms of the virus are extremely similar to those of a regular cold, particularly for those who have been double jabbed.
Vaccinated people who contract the virus are likely to experience a runny nose, sore throat and sneezing, the Daily Record reported.
But now, new research from the ZOE Covid Symptom study , developed by King's College London, has found that there's one symptom that can help tell the difference.
Data shows that loss of smell (anosmia) or loss of taste is still one of the most important predictors of testing positive for coronavirus rather than a regular cold.
Researchers say you can check your sense of smell easily at home by sniffing scented foods or products, or noticing whether familiar foods start to lose their flavour or taste strange.
Millions of people have been logging their symptoms, tests and vaccines on the UK ZOE COVID Symptom Study app since it was launched.
Thanks to health reports, scientists now know there are more than 20 symptoms of Covid-19, including headache, runny nose, sneezing and sore throat.
Common Covid symptoms in people fully vaccinated
Data as of September 2021:
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Runny nose
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Headache
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Sneezing
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Sore throat
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Loss of smell (anosmia)
Common COVID-19 symptoms if you’re unvaccinated
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Headache
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Runny Nose
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Sore Throat
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Fever
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Persistent cough
Loss of smell (anosmia) comes further down the list for unvaccinated people, but it’s still an important predictor of having COVID-19 rather than a regular cold.
Common cold symptoms
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Blocked or runny nose
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Sore throat
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Headaches
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Muscle aches
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Coughs
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Sneezing
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Raised temperature
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Pressure in your ears and face
