Should a runny nose be added to the official Covid-19 symptom list?

Over the past 11 months, medical professionals have noted a bewildering array of Covid symptoms, from stomach discomfort, fatigue and headaches to rashes on the body and mouth known as the “Covid tongue”.

But three have remained the same: a new, persistent cough, a high temperature and a loss of smell or taste.

This is one to watch out for – and one that we should isolate and book immediately to develop.

A group of 140 general practitioners wrote to Prof. Chris Whitty asking that runny nose be added to the official list of symptoms as many Covid-19 patients initially show signs of a cold

Health experts have also carefully pointed out that a runny nose is “highly unlikely” to be the virus.

In September, Professor Tim Spector, an epidemiologist at King’s College London who was involved in a large study tracking Covid symptoms, even said people shouldn’t worry if they catch a cold.

However, this could change. Last week, more than 140 general practitioners wrote to Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty urging the government to add mild cold symptoms to the official Covid symptom list.

Many of them, like Dr. Alex Sohal, a general practitioner in Tower Hamlets, London, and the lead author of the letter, say they regularly review patients who report these mild symptoms who are later diagnosed with Covid. Dr. Sohal said: “We check patients who mention cold-like symptoms almost casually, and a few days later they are diagnosed with Covid.” Often times they haven’t even thought that a runny nose could be Covid-19 and are obviously not self-isolating.

“This is really worrying considering that Covid is the most contagious in its early days.”

Other doctors tell similar stories. Dr. Vicky Marchant, a general practitioner in Essex, said, “My experience includes patients whose initial symptoms are runny nose and fatigue and who develop a cough a few days later that may have spread their virus around their contacts in the first few days of symptomatic infection . “Worryingly, health care workers say that many patients cannot get a test because they do not have at least one of the“ main symptoms. “As a result, general practitioners have encouraged their patients to lie about their symptoms in order to get a swab.

General practitioners want Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty to add mild cold symptoms to the list as the Covid-19 virus is particularly contagious in its early days