Most of the restrictions on Covid-19 have been lifted in the UK, but the virus is still a big part of our lives.
The highly contagious sub-variant of BA.2 Omicron caused a big jump in infections in March and April, and while we have now passed, the peak figures remain high.
People who want to check if they have the virus now have to pay for private tests after the government abolished the universal provision of free PCR and side streams.
In the absence of free testing, the NHS has updated its list of symptoms to add nine more possible signs of coronavirus, indicating only three for most of the pandemic.
The UK government has moved away from a system of restrictions and is moving towards one that places more responsibility on the individual under its Covid Life Plan.
With all this in mind, here are the signs of Covid that you need to watch out for, how long it lasts and when you are most infectious, explained.
What are the symptoms of Covid-19?
The NHS already lists the following as official symptoms of Covid:
- Fever or shivering (chills) – Fever means that you feel hot when you touch your chest or back (you don’t need to measure your temperature)
- New, prolonged cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour or three or more episodes of cough in 24 hours
- Loss or change in your sense of smell or taste
- Lack of air
- Feeling tired or exhausted
- Body pain
- headache
- Sore throat
- Clogged or runny nose
- Loss of appetite
- diarrhea
- Feeling sick or sick
The NHS says the symptoms are “very similar to the symptoms of other diseases, such as colds and flu.”
More on Covid-19
How long does Covid last?
The NHS says most people with Covid-19 will either feel better in a few weeks.
For many, especially people who have been fully vaccinated and received a booster, it will only be a few days.
However, data from the Zoe Covid study, which studied the virus since the beginning of the pandemic, suggests that one in 10 people may have symptoms after three weeks, and some may suffer for months.
“Our study shows that some people experience fatigue, headaches, coughs, anosmia (loss of smell), sore throat, delirium and chest pain more than three weeks after the first report of symptoms in the application,” the study said.
When are you most infected?
For previous options such as Delta, the World Health Organization said symptoms could begin to develop somewhere between two days and two weeks after infection.
However, the incubation period for Omicron and its shoots is thought to be much shorter, between three and five days.
It is believed that people are most infectious one to two days before the onset of symptoms and two to three days after.
This helps explain why Omicron was able to spread so quickly because people transmitted the virus before they even realized they had it.
Harvard University says: “People are considered to be the most contagious at the beginning of their illness.
“With Omicron, most transmission appears to occur one to two days before the onset of symptoms and two to three days after. Asymptomatic people can also spread the coronavirus to others. “
Health Minister Sajid Javid said in December: “The latest analysis by the UK Health Security Agency suggests that the window between infection and infectivity may be shorter for the Omicron option than for the Delta option.
The data show that the majority of people are no longer contagious seven days after starting to experience symptoms or the first positive test, especially when vaccinated, and the vast majority are no longer contagious after 10 days.
When will you stop giving a positive test?
Most people will stop taking a positive test within 10 days of starting to experience symptoms or getting their first positive test.
However, it is possible to continue with positive tests for weeks or even months after becoming infected with the virus.
The good news is that even if you keep giving a positive test after a long time, it’s not because you’re actually contagious.
Gavi Vaccine Alliance explains: “The time required for a negative test after infection with Covid-19 depends on the severity of the case, as well as the test itself. PCR tests, which detect parts of viral genetic material (RNA in the case of Covid-19) in our bodies and amplify it so that we can detect it, are extremely sensitive and can even detect the presence of several viral fragments. This is because fragments of viral RNA can remain in our bodies long after the infection is over and the virus has been cleared from our system.
If you have the virus and want to avoid it spreading, the best thing to do is isolate yourself for at least five full days. You can then leave the isolation after the test is negative for two consecutive days – if you have tests available – or after 10 days if the test is not negative. At this point, you should no longer be contagious to others.
What should you do if you have symptoms?
If you have symptoms of Covid-19, you no longer have to take a test or isolate yourself if you live in England.
However, the NHS advises anyone with symptoms to stay home and avoid contact with other people.
If you test positive or have symptoms, the NHS advises you to take the following steps:
- Try to work from home if you can – if you can’t work from home, ask your employer about your options;
- Stay home if you can – this helps reduce the number of people you have contact with;
- Avoid contact with people at higher risk for Covid-19, especially if their immune system means they are at higher risk for serious Covid-19 disease, even if they have had the vaccine;
- Follow the tips on how to avoid spreading the virus to the people you live with;
- Let the people who need to enter your home know that you have tested positive or have symptoms – then they can take steps to protect themselves, such as wearing a cover for a person who looks good, stay away from you as much as you can, and wash your hands regularly;
- Contact your healthcare provider and tell them about the positive test result or symptoms if you are asked to attend a medical or dental examination in person;
- Ask friends, family or neighbors to provide you with food or other necessities.
If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, the advice is:
If you test positive for Covid-19, you should isolate yourself for five full days. The first day is the day after the onset of symptoms or the day after you take the test if you have no symptoms (whichever is earlier).
Then you need to do a side flow test on the fifth day. If it is negative and you do not have a high temperature, you can leave self-isolation on the sixth day.
However, if you still have a fever and feel unwell, you should continue to isolate yourself until your temperature returns to normal or you feel better.
If the test on the fifth or sixth day is positive, you should continue to do daily side-flow tests until you get two negative tests in a row, taken on the day of each other or on day 10 – whichever comes first.
How about the long Covid?
Some people will experience what is known as prolonged Covid – symptoms that remain for months after the initial infection.
Between 3-5% of people affected by Covid continue to have symptoms for more than 12 weeks that affect their daily lives, according to the National Statistics Office (ONS).
The NHS says the chances of long-term symptoms don’t seem to be related to how sick you are when you first get the virus.
Symptoms of prolonged Covid include:
- Extreme fatigue (tiredness)
- Lack of air
- Chest pain or tightness
- Problems with memory and concentration (“brain fog”)
- Sleep difficulties (insomnia)
- Heartbeat
- Dizziness
- Pins and needles
- Joint pain
- Depression and anxiety
- Tinnitus, earache
- Vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, loss of appetite
- Fever, cough, headache, sore throat, changes in smell or taste
- Rash
Contact your doctor if you continue to experience symptoms for several weeks after the first positive Covid-19 test.
People with long-term Covid will not be contagious for longer than usual, so you don’t have to worry about infecting others after 10 days.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines long-term Covid as a syndrome that occurs in individuals with a history of probable or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, usually three months after the start of Covid-19 with symptoms lasting at least two months. and cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis.
Zoe data show that a complete vaccine halves the risk of developing long-term Covid.
Professor Tim Spector, a leading scientist in Zoe’s research, said: “Everyone experiences illness in their own way, and it’s certainly no different with long-term Covid.
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