Have you already HAD Covid? The 8 signs you’ve been infected
THE UK is currently in its third national lockdown as cases of the coronavirus continue to circulate.
More and more people are contracting the virus and it could be possible that you have already been infected without knowing it.
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At the start of the pandemic in the UK in March last year, experts said the virus could have been circulating across the country as early as January.
This has left many people wondering whether they might have actually already had coronavirus - particularly when they reflect on that cold or respiratory illness they experienced at the beginning of last year.
The NHS states that the three main symptoms of Covid-19 are a new persistent cough, a high temperature or a loss of taste and smell (anosmia).
It's important that if you have any of these symptoms then you get a test and isolate.
At the start of last year experts didn't know much about the virus and it wasn't until May that the NHS listed anosmia as an official symptom.
A third of people are also asymptomatic, which means they show no symptoms of the virus.
Vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca are currently being rolled out across the UK, but new research released today suggests that if you've had Covid and beaten it - then it could be better than the vaccine.
Public Health England (PHE) found prior infection slashed the chances of falling unwell again by up to 90 per cent.
Experts said protection for recovered Brits was “at least as good” as that given by the jab.
In the largest study of its kind, involving nearly 21,000 NHS workers, researchers found the “vast majority” had immunity against the virus six months after initially catching it.
While a large majority of NHS workers seemingly have immunity - it could be that you are protected if you had contracted the virus without knowing.
Here, we take you through some of the signs that may indicate you already had coronavirus...
1. Stomach ache
If you had a bad stomach you might have just had a bug like norovirus.
But some Covid-19 patients have reported experiencing tummy ache just before developing the other known symptoms.
A study, published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, suggests people might experience digestive issues, such as diarrhoea, when they are infected with coronavirus.
The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in the US already lists diarrhoea as a symptom of Covid-19.
Researchers analysed data from 204 patients with Covid-19 in China’s Hubei province and they discovered that 48.5 per cent of these patients arrived at the hospital with digestive symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting or abdominal pain.
2. Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath can be a very serious manifestation of Covid-19, and it can occur on its own, without a cough.
If your chest becomes tight or you begin to feel as if you cannot breathe deeply enough to get a good breath, that's a sign to act, experts say.
Patients who are usually older or have a pre-existing health condition are normally the people who experience difficulty breathing – known as dyspnea.
Signs that a person is experiencing dyspnea include shortness of breath, feeling smothered or suffocated, tightness in the chest, rapid, shallow breathing, heart palpitations and wheezing.
3. Brain fog
Some people may experience brain fog, also known as mental fatigue, as another symptom of coronavirus.
Many people who have got over the virus have been left with brain fog and other debilitating symptoms - this is known as long Covid.
Thea Jourdan, 50, said she didn't experience a cough or fever - instead her introduction to Covid-19 began with a tickle in her throat and a dull headache.
The mum-of-three, from Hampshire, says she then started to experience brain fog.
She told the Daily Mail: " I had brain fog. I was unable even to fill out forms from the children’s schools. I just wanted to sleep.";
4. Eye infections
Recent reports have suggested that Covid-19 may cause eye infections such as conjunctivitis.
The College of Optometrists said: "It is recognised that any upper respiratory tract infection may result in viral conjunctivitis as a secondary complication, and this is also the case with Covid-19.
"However, it is unlikely that a person would present with viral conjunctivitis secondary to Covid-19 without other symptoms of fever or a continuous cough as conjunctivitis seems to be a late feature where it has occurred."
5. A dry cough
A dry persistent cough is a ‘classic’ symptom of coronavirus, according to Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and Clinical Director of
She says a dry persistent cough is normally new for you (or different from your normal cough if, for instance, you have a ‘smoker’s cough’).
It's also persistent – not just because you’re clearing your throat or because you have something caught in your throat - and it needs to last for at least half a day.
A dry (rather than ‘fruity’ cough) is more likely to be due to coronavirus, but you need to self-isolate regardless of whether your cough is dry or productive.
The NHS describes a "dry cough" as a cough where no phlegm or mucus is produced, which is also irritating and usually associated with a tickly throat.
6. A high temperature
A fever is a key symptom of coronavirus, experts say.
The NHS says you don't need to fixate on a number, but know it's really not a fever until your temperature reaches at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 degrees Celsius) for children and adults.
They say you can tell if you have a fever when you feel hot to touch on your chest or back.
7. Loss of taste/smell
If you previously lost your sense of taste and smell you could have already had coronavirus.
The British Association of Otorhinolaryngology (ENT UK) says patients who do not have a fever or a cough could show a loss of smell or taste after contracting the deadly bug.
In May a loss of taste and smell was added to the official NHS symptoms list.
8. Fatigue
Another symptom that coronavirus patients have reported is feeling extremely fatigued before symptoms develop.
According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, up to 44 per cent of those hospitalised with Covid-19 reported exhaustion and fatigue.
One Covid sufferer, Chiara DiGiallorenzo, 25, said her illness started with a fever and fatigue.
But she knew it was more serious than a flu when she developed a tightness in her chest that left her short of breath.
Despite this, if you previously had any of these eight symptoms it does not necessarily mean you have had coronavirus previously - and you may have just had a similar illness, such as the common cold or flu.
Some people will not develop all of these symptoms - and some might not even show symptoms at all, experts say.
Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK's chief scientific adviser previously said: "It looks quite likely that there is some degree of asymptomatic transmission.
"There’s definitely quite a lot of transmission very early in the disease when there are very mild symptoms."
How to find out if you had coronavirus
An antibody test can tell you whether or not you have had Covid-19.
But the NHS says they don't work for everyone and not everyone who has had the virus will have antibodies in their system.
These tests are not yet widely available and are currently only available for certain people who work in primary care, social care or education.
The NHS says: "These tests are to help the NHS and scientists learn more about who has already had the virus and how it has spread in the UK".
The test is done by taking blood from a finger prick.
When a person gets infected by the virus, the body starts making specially designed proteins called antibodies to fight the infection.
Users or pharmacists will have to prick a finger and place a drop of blood on a stick, which looks like a home pregnancy test.
Some will give an immediate result and others must be returned to a lab. Results will be recorded on medical records.
More on coronavirus
Research is currently being conducted to help experts understand the coronavirus.
If you have had the coronavirus you can donate blood plasma to help researchers find treatments.
To do this you have to have had either a positive test or the classic symptoms of the virus.
You can check if you can donate your plasma by clicking .