As the UK Government considers further restrictions amid the spread of the new Omicron variant, experts are warning of a string of symptoms people should not ignore.
With many winter bugs also doing the rounds it can be difficult to tell the difference between a cold or this new strain.
As coronavirus infections spiral, people need to make sure their colds aren't actually covid.
READ MORE: UK lockdown date 'leaked' as date 'pencilled in' for Boris Johnson's next announcement
The Government has never updated guidance on covid symptoms beyond the three classic symptoms (high temperature, a loss or change to smell or taste, and a new and continuous cough).
But researchers from the ZOE app - the world's largest ongoing study of Covid-19 - have identified a number of mostly mild, cold-like symptoms.
Using the most recent data from London, where Omicron prevalence is higher than other regions of the UK, ZOE data scientists analysed symptom data from positive cases recorded.
The top 5 symptoms were:
- Runny nose
- Headache
- Fatigue (mild or severe)
- Sneezing
- Sore throat
Loss of appetite and brain fog were also identified as common symptoms.
Professor Tim Spector, from the ZOE app, is urging anyone experiencing any of these symptoms to get tested and avoid social contact until you know it's not covid.
As many of the symptoms of Covid and a cold overlap, it can be tricky to know which ones you have.
Prof Spector appeared on ITV's This Morning last week to clear up any confusion.
He explained to Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield: “Many people - perhaps up to half of cases - are going unrecognised because they basically have symptoms that are very cold-like.
"So headache, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing - and the only one that gets into the top five is loss of smell or taste.
"We're now seeing that fever is very low down on the ranking of what we're seeing at the moment. Even rarer are things like shortness of breath or a persistent cough.
"It's a combination of factors but we've got to face the reality which is, most people out there with Covid are presenting with cold-like symptoms.”
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