Study Finds Top COVID-19 Symptoms Have Changed

(CTN News) – It has been almost three years since the covivirus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic evolved into many variants, while vaccination and prior infection have altered our experiences.

COVID-19 symptoms have also changed over time.

On October 20, the UK-based Zoe Health Study (formerly the COVID Symptom Study) identified the most common current COVID-19 symptoms based on information reported by more than four million people.

A recent analysis found that symptoms of infection with the prevailing omicron variant are often flu-like and depend on vaccination status and vaccination doses.

Coronavirus symptoms that were predominant with earlier variants, such as delta, now rank way down. Aside from shortness of breath, shortness of smell, and a metallic taste in the mouth, these now less-common symptoms include loss of smell.

Vaccinated people report fewer symptoms over a shorter period of time, suggesting they are getting better more quickly and falling less seriously ill.

COVID-19 Symptoms of Two Vaccine Doses

In addition, people who had been vaccinated and then tested positive for COVID were more likely to report sneezing. “If you’ve been vaccinated and start sneezing a lot without reason, you should get a COVID test, especially if you live or work around people at risk,” Zoe editors wrote.

A list of the top COVID-19 symptoms among people who have received one dose of the vaccine

While persistent cough is one of the original indicators of COVID, it ranks lower than sneezing and a runny nose, which were previously considered unrelated.

What is the reason for the change in the top COVID-19 symptoms?

“We are not entirely sure why this shift in symptoms is occurring, but the Zoe data are consistent with what many of us clinicians have observed in our patients with COVID-19 infection,” says Dean Winslow, MD, a Stanford professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist.

According to Winslow, symptom changes are probably caused by “multifactorial factors,” which include the virus’ ability to evolve in order to maximize transmission as well as higher levels of immunity among the population as a result of vaccinations and prior infections.

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