February 10, 2021

expert reaction to report by the REACT team at Imperial College London on symptoms of COVID-19

A report from the REACT team at Imperial College London finds additional symptoms linked with COVID-19.

Dr Tom Wingfield, Senior Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Physician, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, said:

“We continue to learn more about Covid-19 illness, including about symptoms beyond the ‘classic’ symptoms of fever, persistent cough, and loss or change in sense of smell and taste.

“We now understand that a significant proportion of people with Covid-19 are asymptomatic. The REACT study data also shows other symptoms including headache, loss of appetite, myalgia (muscle aches), and a feeling of chills, all of which are symptoms that are commonly found in people with other infections including flu, rhinovirus, and other causes of ‘common colds’. 

“The report does not indicate whether or not illnesses other than Covid-19 were tested for at the same time in this cohort. This means we don’t know from the REACT report whether the people tested for Covid-19 had more than one infection at the time of testing. This is pertinent given the frequency of flu, rhinovirus, and other viruses during winter months.

“Interestingly, the REACT data also suggests that – as we see in other illnesses – the reported symptoms differ depending on age group. For example, headaches in people aged 5-17 years old vs appetite loss in those over 55 years old. There may also be differences in symptoms reported based on gender, ethnicity, and comorbidities but this is not reported in the data.

“The REACT findings of a broader range of Covid-19 symptoms could indicate better understanding of how we are affected by Covid-19 and/or changes in symptoms related to new strains of coronavirus. The findings are important because they suggest that clinical diagnosis of Covid-19 (e.g. suspicion of Covid-19 before the test result is available) may be challenging given the symptoms of Covid-19 overlap with other viral infections. 

“In practice, going forward, it will be important that people with symptoms consistent with Covid-19 and/or other viral infections isolate appropriately and are promptly tested on a platform able to diagnose any of these infections (e.g. a swab that tests not only for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, but also other viruses, such as flu).”

https://imperialcollegelondon.app.box.com/s/t2ycf6kr0myu5l50cb77ccbl165z8wai

All our previous output on this subject can be seen at this weblink:

www.sciencemediacentre.org/tag/covid-19

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