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VIRAL CLUES

The top 3 most common Covid symptoms right now revealed

COVID rates crept up very rapidly at the beginning of the summer, with a 43 per cent spike in cases in June.

However, the wave appears to have subsided across the whole Britian, with infections falling rapidly each week.

This summer’s Covid spike is a reminder that we still need to be vigilant about new symptoms
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This summer’s Covid spike is a reminder that we still need to be vigilant about new symptomsCredit: Getty - Contributor

The most recent from the Office of National Statistics suggests that just one in 25 people in England currently have Covid, down from with one in 20 in July.

But this summer’s recent spike is a reminder that we still need to be vigilant about new symptoms.

According to findings published by the Covid Zoe Symptom Tracker App, a sore throat is the most common symptom.

Meanwhile, the second most commonly reported symptom is a headache.

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The next most common symptom is a persistent cough, which is described as non-phlegmy and dry.

All of these symptoms could potentially be mistaken for a common cold.

Professor Tim Spector, founder of the Covid Zoe Symptom Tracker App, has warned that feeling tired and having a sore throat might be signs of the illness.

“Symptoms [for Covid and a cold] are much the same except with Covid you are generally more fatigue and have sore throat - so best to assume it’s Covid,” he explained. 

Despite the drop in cases, medics have warned that there is still a lot of Covid around. 

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, deputy director of public health programmes at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: "We are now seeing decreases in Covid-19 case rates and hospitalisations.

"Whilst this is encouraging, Covid-19 has not gone away and we really want to see further declines in the coming weeks and months. 

"People aged 75 and over remain at particular risk of severe disease if they are not up to date with their vaccinations."

She added: "We urge anyone who is not up to date with their jabs to come forward to give themselves the best possible protection."

The 20 Covid symptoms you need to know

Here are the top 20 Covid symptoms based on data from the Zoe Symptom Tracker app and the percentage of people who have experienced them

  1. Sore throat (58 per cent)
  2. Headache (47 per cent)
  3. Cough no phlegm (43 per cent)
  4. Blocked nose (41 per cent)
  5. Runny nose (39 per cent)
  6. Cough with phlegm (38 per cent)
  7. Hoarse voice (37 per cent)
  8. Sneezing (31 per cent)
  9. Fatigue (31 per cent)
  10. Muscle pain and aches (25 per cent)
  11. Dizzy light headed (19 per cent)
  12. Swollen neck glands (15 per cent)
  13. Altered smell (14 per cent)
  14. Fever (13 per cent)
  15. Eye soreness (13 per cent)
  16. Chest pain tightness (12 per cent)
  17. Loss of smell (12 per cent)
  18. Shortness of breath (11 per cent)
  19. Hot flushes (11 per cent)
  20. Chills or shivers (11 per cent)

This week it was also revealed that Covid increases your risk of conditions including dementia, psychosis and brain fog up to two years after infection.

Scientists at the University of Oxford also noted a greater risk of anxiety and depression, but found this subsides two months after infection.

The study, found that children were more likely to be diagnosed with some conditions, like seizures and psychotic disorders after catching the virus.

According to the research, the newer variants of the virus - Delta and Omicron - are more likely to trigger serious mental health disorders than the Alpha strain.

Last month, it was revealed that Brits are actually battling three types of long Covid.

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It's estimated that around two million people in the UK are currently living with the condition. 

They are dealing with a wide variety of symptoms, ranging from sexual dysfunction to hallucinations and even hair loss.

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