Why is the governments list of coronavirus symptoms still woefully inaccurate?
Back in April 2020, I wrote an article criticising the government and the woefully incomplete list of coronavirus (Covid-19) symptoms it was sharing with the public. I compared our governments advice to that of other countries. And what I found was that the NHSs list of coronavirus symptoms was one of the most incomplete in the world. At the time, my housemate and I were certain that we had coronavirus, although we had none of the listed symptoms. It feels like Ive smoked a whole packet of cigarettes, my friend had moaned at the time. A few days later, his condition deteriorated. It feels like someone is sitting on my chest, he wheezed. Fast-forward to July 2021, and I am recovering from coronavirus again. This time I was able to get an official diagnosis. Like the majority of people in the UK, its very likely that I was infected by the Delta variant: a strain of coronavirus that feels quite different to the virus we knew in early 2020. The variant has changed  The Delta variant is currently sweeping the UK and spreads much more easily than its predecessors. I had only been given one dose of the vaccine when I caught the virus. Yet friends I had been socialising with found themselves in bed even after receiving two vaccinations. I was shocked that Delta could spread so rapidly among people who had been double-vaccinated. On top of this, the new Lambda variant  which is proving deadly in Peru and the rest of Latin America  has also made its way into the UK. Its transmission rate is thought to be higher than all other variants. And scientists fear that a new mutation of the strain is resistant to vaccines. With so much knowledge of how the virus has changed over the course of a year and a half, its disturbing that the government hasnt bothered to update the advice theyre giving to the public. This is particularly concerning given that coronavirus cases are rising steeply again. The NHS still only lists three symptoms to watch out for:  Read on...  a high temperature  this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)  a new, continuous cough  this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)  a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste  this means youve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal  Yet the ZOE app  the largest ongoing study of coronavirus in the world  lists different symptoms to watch out for. If youre not vaccinated, ZOE lists the most common symptoms as being:  Headache Sore Throat Runny Nose Fever Persistent cough  ZOE says:  Loss of smell comes in at number 9 and shortness of breath comes far down the list at number 30, indicating the symptoms as recorded previously are changing with the evolving variants of the virus. And if youve already been given two vaccinations, ZOE lists the most common symptoms as:  Headache Runny nose Sneezing Sore throat Other  Thats none of the symptoms listed by the NHS. ZOE says:  The previous traditional symptoms as still outlined on the government website, such as anosmia (loss of smell), shortness of breath and fever rank way down the list, at 11, 29 and 12 respectively. A persistent cough now ranks at number 8 if youve had two vaccine doses, so is no longer the top indicator of having COVID. With such dire advice still coming from the government, its no wonder that infection rates are shooting through the roof. DHSC response  The Canary contacted the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) for a comment. The department said:  Since the start of the pandemic we have acknowledged COVID-19 has a much longer list of symptoms than the ones initially used in the case definition and our experts keep the list of symptoms under review. But the DHSC didnt address the question we asked, which was why hasnt the government updated its symptom list in almost a year and a half? Instead, the DHSC told us:  Anyone experiencing the key symptoms  a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or a loss or change to sense of smell or taste  should get a PCR test as soon as possible and immediately self-isolate along with their household. PCR tests are mainly for people who have symptoms, and a swab is sent off to a lab. The DHSC continued:  With around one in three people not showing symptoms of COVID-19, we have made regular, rapid testing available twice a week for free for everyone in England. Over 100 million LFDs have been carried out so far with over 200,000 cases identified that would not have been detected otherwise. LFDs, or lateral flow tests, give results within 30 minutes and should be used if a person has no symptoms. Yet their effectiveness in picking up whether someone has the virus is questionable. I myself received a negative LFD result before getting a positive PCR result. The government is still proving that its incompetent  Boris Johnsons government seems content that although coronavirus rates are increasing, our death rates are still low. But the government isnt taking into account that, even if people dont die, the effects of long Covid can be devastating. Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth also argued:  Letting cases rise with no action means further pressure on the NHS, more sickness, disruption to education  and risks a new variant emerging with a selection advantage. The emergence of new variants is particularly worrying. Because the more the virus mutates, the greater the chances of a vaccine-resistant strain developing. Meanwhile, states such as Germany continue to close their borders to UK citizens, citing the country as a new area of variants of concern. As the UK government proudly prepares to ease all lockdown restrictions, Germany and others will, once more, be watching closely. Johnson will continue to try to convince the public that hes doing a wonderful job. But, as always, hes fooling no one. Featured image via Flickr / NIAID-RML