Covid symptoms have become much more diverse over the past two years as more variants have emerged since the pandemic broke out.
The NHS initially advised people to look our for just three key signs of infection including a high temperature, a new continuous cough and a loss of change to sense of smell or taste.
Now the list of symptoms linked to Covid is much more diverse, with the health service adding nine additional symptoms to its official list earlier this year.
The expansion reflects the wider array of symptoms being reported following the outbreak of the Omicron variant, although the NHS cautions that many of the signs are very similar to other illnesses such as the common cold or flu.
Professor Tim Spector, lead scientist of the ZOE Covid-19 symptom tracker app, has been highly critical of the government’s initial “refusal” to recognise a “wider array of symptoms”, and called on officials to expand the list last year.
Prof Spector welcomed the recent change but warned that the NHS puts too much emphasis on fever and loss of smell or taste, noting that the symptoms being reported on the ZOE app “shows a very different story”, with cold and flu-like symptoms being much more common.
He said: “The addition of more symptoms is definitely a step in the right direction and it could help reduce infections as we go forward.
“However, whilst this is good news, I’d like to see the order of the symptoms changed, as the NHS list puts far too much emphasis on symptoms like fever, and anosmia, which we know are much less common since the Omicron variant emerged.”
While most people who contract Covid will experience cold-like symptoms, some more unusual symptoms have also been reported which could be a sign of infection. Listed are eight of the less common signs of coronavirus you should look out for.
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1. Covid can cause some unusual symptoms (Composite: Kim Mogg / JPIMedia)
Covid can cause some unusual symptoms (Composite: Kim Mogg / JPIMedia)
2. Palpitations
Some people may experience palpitations as a symptom of Covid, causing the heart to feel like it is pounding, fluttering or beating irregularly. This will often occur for just a few seconds or minutes, and can also cause fluttering sensations in your throat or neck.
3. Covid toes
Covid can cause fingers and toes to become swollen and change colour, with symptoms including chilblain-like inflammation, redness, blisters and itching on the hands and feet. It appears to be more common among children and young adults, and can last for months in some cases.
4. Hair loss
Some people may suffer from hair loss after contracting Covid, but symptoms may not occur until months after infection. It occurs because the hair follicles are overstimulated during infection, after which they change into a resting/shedding phase at the same time. Studies have previously found women are mostly affected, but lost hair should start to come back after several months.