The NHS has extended the official list of COVID-19 symptoms to help people determine whether they are infected with the virus amid the surging cases in the UK. The extended list now has nine new symptoms including sore throat, headache, and fatigue.
According to NHS, these are in addition to the earlier listed symptoms of fever, persistent cough, and loss or change in taste or smell.
Health authorities believe that expanding the list could bring down coronavirus cases by helping people assess if they got infected. Though the extended list came a few days after the free universal COVID-19 test ended, according to Sky News,
COVID-19 in the UK has hit a record high, with almost 5 million people estimated to be infected. Here is the list of the updated list of COVID-19 symptoms:
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling tired
- Body pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- A blocked or runny nose
- Loss of appetite.
- Diarrhea
- Feeling sick or being sick
"The symptoms are very similar to symptoms of other illnesses, such as colds and flu," a note on the website reads.
Expert Laud Updated COVID-19 Symptoms List
Since the virus's appearance two years ago, the UK has only had three symptoms on the list, even though other organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) have had longer symptom lists for some time, per The Guardian.
In England, some people still qualify for free tests in certain circumstances, but most people are now expected to pay or go without.
Under the previous testing rule, people only qualified for PCR tests if they had one of the three symptoms or if they had been requested to take a test.
Prof. Tim Spector, the principal scientist behind the Zoe COVID-19 symptom tracking app, lauded the move via a tweet, saying that after two years of pushing, the NHS has "finally" amended the symptom list.
He said it's a shame they got the order incorrect "but it's a start," adding that it might help minimize infections.
Prof. Spector has been campaigning for an expanded list of symptoms because of data from people tracking their symptoms in the app.
Spike in Infections
In March, he suspected that the shortened symptom list, along with the decision to abandon isolation measures and eliminate free testing, may have contributed to higher transmission rates.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Friday that 4.9 million persons in the UK had Covid-19 in the week ending March 26, up from 4.3 million the week before, as per a BBC report.
During that week, one in every 13 persons in England was infected with the virus, according to the ONS.
Infections with Covid are at an all-time high in the UK, with 4.9 million people (about one in every 13) testing positive. The majority of individuals in England were no longer eligible for free testing as of last week.
The NHS advises that if you have COVID-19 symptoms and a high temperature, or if your symptoms are so severe that you are unable to work, just stay at home and avoid people.
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