From headache to sore throat: New common symptoms of Delta variant of COVID-19

The Delta variant of the COVID-19 infection could be behind the change in symptoms as more people are reporting cold-like symptoms in the UK. Headaches, a sore throat and a runny nose are the most common symptoms of this variant, according to the data collected as part of the app-based Zoe Covid symptom study.

The study is being led by Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London.

“Covid is … acting differently now, it’s more like a bad cold,” he said. “People might think they’ve just got some sort of seasonal cold, and they still go out to parties … we think this is fuelling a lot of the problem. So, what’s really important to realise is that since the start of May, we’ve been looking at the top symptoms in all the app users, and they’re not the same as they were. So, the number one symptom is headache … followed by sore throat, runny nose and fever.”

The ZOE project which began at the start of the pandemic has been tracking people's symptoms throughout and experts believe the virus is 'acting differently now'.

The NHS still lists the three tell-tale signs of the virus as a fever, new continuous cough and loss of taste and smell.

With Delta, a cough appears to be the fifth most common symptom, and the loss of smell doesn’t make the top 10, according to Spector's study.

The study also believes that now the majority of the UK's older residents are vaccinated, and younger people are the ones infected that are more likely to only suffer a mild illness.

Spector said the Delta variant is now 'more like a cold' in younger people. “I think the message here is that if you’re young and getting milder symptoms any way, it might just feel like a bad cold or some funny feeling … do stay at home and do get a test,” Spector said.