The number of COVID cases has risen by 30% in the UK. Millions have been affected.
Many are experiencing the symptoms of the common cold and have been feeling a bit numb as we enter winter.
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If you’ve ever had the virus, you might assume you’d be familiar with what to watch out for.
However, symptoms have changed as the strains have evolved over the past two years.
According to data from ZOE Symptom Tracker, there are 20 symptoms Brits should be aware of.
- Sore throat – 63.55%
- Runny nose – 53.04%
- Headache – 53.02%
- Blocked nose – 52.47%
- No phlegm, cough – 52.06%
- Sneezing – 47.02%
- Cough with phlegm 45.79%
- Hoarse voice – 43.86%
- Muscle pain aches – 29.46%
- Fatigue – 22.97%
- Dizzy light headed – 21.11%
- Altered smell – 19.82%
- Swollen neck glands – 17.72%
- Eye soreness – 16.41%
- The sensation of tightness in your chest is 16.26%
- Breathing problems – 15.9%
- Loss of smell – 14.45%
- Earache – 13.96%
- Chills and shivers – 12.98%
- Joint pain shoulders – 11.08%
Official data from The Office of National Statistics (ONS), Friday revealed that 1.7million Brits are currently infected with the bug. This figure is up from 1.3million the week before.
One in fifty people contracted the bug last week. Now, it is one in 35.
Figures from the team at ZOE also state that there are around 235,829 new daily symptomatic cases of Covid in the UK.
The figures from ZOE show that this is almost 34 percent more than the 176.090 daily cases recorded two weeks ago.
It can be hard to determine if you have the bug because testing is not free.
If you have sore throats, it is likely to be Covid. However, it may also be caused by viruses such as the flu or smoking.
The NHS stated that sometimes sore throats could also be caused by tonsillitis, laryngitis or glandular fever.
As people continue to fall ill, medics have urged Brits to stay away from elderly friends or relatives in order to prevent the illness being passed on.
Dr Mary Ramsay (Director of Public Health Programmes, UK Health Security Agency) stated that there are early signs that Covid-19-related deaths have begun to increase.
“While this is worrying, it is not possible to determine if they are Covid-19-related deaths. However, it is encouraging that there is no excess mortality overall at this point.
“If you are unwell or have symptoms of a respiratory infection, it is particularly important to avoid contact with elderly people or those who are more likely to have severe disease because of their ongoing health conditions.
“Wearing a face covering will also help stop respiratory infections spreading.”
The majority of those who contract the Omicron virus in the UK have been suffering from common cold symptoms since last year.
This strain is milder than the ones that came before it, such as Alpha and Delta.
Due to the massive vaccine rollout and the fact there are many people already infected, the spread of the virus may be slower.
One expert said that the bug is now in one-in-35 people. This means that everyone needs to be vigilant.
Professor Denis Kinane (immunologist and Founding Scientist),Cignpost Diagnosticssaid this includes using facemasks and avoiding crowded indoor events.
He said that the virus would continue to evolve as long as there is a large unvaccinated population. We could also see newer, more powerful strains of the virus.
“The UK’s ability to detect, analyse and stop future variants has been severely affected by the end of universal free testing, as well as the absence of a baseline surveillance program at its borders.
“This has inevitably deterred many from getting tested, and it is likely we will see infections spread rapidly as people will not be aware that there are infected.”