RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Headache, sore throat and runny nose are the most common symptoms associated with the latest Covid-19 variant afflicting the UK. The data was collected by the Zoe Covid app as part of the disease symptoms study and suggests that the Delta variant first detected in India seems like a “severe cold.”
According to Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London who is leading the study, many people may think they have caught a “seasonal cold” and will go out, which may be fueling the problem in the UK.
“It’s important to realize that since the beginning of May, we’ve looked at the main symptoms across all app users and they’re not the same as they were. So the number one symptom is headache, followed by a sore throat, runny nose and fever.”
The “classic” coronavirus symptoms, on the other hand, are fever, cough, and loss of smell or taste. Spector also said that with the Delta variant, cough seems to be the 5th most common symptom, and loss of smell is not among the top 10.
Data suggest that the Delta variant is at least 40% more transmissible than the Alpha variant first detected in Kent, a county in southeastern England, and appears to double the risk of hospitalization. It also makes vaccines somewhat less effective, especially after only one dose.
Faced with this situation, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday a one-month postponement of the last deconfinement phase, originally scheduled for June 21.
Source: Exame