People suffering from 'the worst lurgy ever' might actually have coronavirus without realising it, a top scientist has warned.
Last week, the ECHO reported growing numbers of people in Merseyside complaining of a nasty cold they can't seem to shift.
One man, who lives in Formby, said he has come down with the "worst lurgy he's ever had".
READ MORE: Gogglebox Dave and Shirley's real jobs, secret family and wedding throwback
Others from across the region have posted on Facebook say they have been "floored" by an illness.
One woman wrote: "Yep, I've been full of cold for the last few days. First one in over two years and its a doozy!"
Another said: "I've had a terrible cold for nearly three weeks, can't seem to get rid of it."
One woman from Maghull wrote: "Two weeks now and it's not funny at all. First cold I've had in years and it's floored me."
However, it may be that those currently in the grips of the familiar symptoms are not actually suffering from a cold, but Covid-19, reports the Mirror.
Research from the ZOE Covid App in the UK shows that the top five symptoms for those who have had both coronavirus vaccines but still contract the virus are a headache, a runny nose, sneezing, a sore throat and loss of smell.
Professor Tim Spector, lead scientists on the ZOE Covid study app, warned that confusing Covid for a cold was easy to do, and could help the virus to spread.
He told the Mirror: "The UK still has more cases than most of Europe and I believe this is for two main reasons; the first is a lack of masks and social distancing and the second is because we’re ignorant of the symptoms.
"We should be looking out for things like sore throat, runny nose and sneezing. The classic three - cough, fever and anosmia are rarer these days, yet the government has done nothing.
"By not updating advice, we’re letting people into care homes, schools, workplaces and large gatherings displaying known signs of Covid.
"Roughly, 1 in 80 people in the UK have Covid. If we don’t wake up to the fact these cold-like symptoms could be Covid, we will continue to keep numbers high, putting unnecessary strain on an exhausted NHS."
Similarities between Covid-19 and flu:
- Fever or feeling feverish/chills
- Cough
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Muscle pain or body aches
- Headache
- Some people may have vomiting and diarrhoea, though this is more common in children than adults
Differences between Covid-19 and flu:
- Change in or loss of taste
- Change in or loss of smell
If a person has Covid-19, it could take them longer to develop symptoms than if they had flu.
