A new ONS report analyzed the symptoms of a random sample of 6,000 patients who tested positive for COVID in England between Nov. 15, 2020 and Jan. 16, 2021. The researchers’ aim was to identify which particular symptoms are more and less closely associated with the new variant when compared with other cases of the virus. Ultimately they found that one symptom stood out as being less common in cases of the U.K. strain: loss of taste and smell. “People testing positive compatible with the new U.K. variant were more likely to report any symptoms and the classic symptoms, but were less likely to report loss of taste and smell,” their findings explain. “Loss of taste and loss of smell were significantly less common in new variant.” Loss of smell was present in 15 percent of U.K. variant cases, compared to 18 percent of other cases. Loss of taste was present in 16 percent of U.K. variant cases, compared again with 18 percent of other cases. However, while the numbers are statistically significant, the presence or absence of these or any symptoms cannot definitively identify one strain or another at this time. Wondering which symptoms are most closely associated with the U.K. strain? Read on for the four symptoms the study identified, and for more essential COVID news, read up on The Over-the-Counter Medication That Can Kill COVID, Study Says. U.K. variant: 35 percent of patientsae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Other variants: 28 percent of patients And for more on signs that your COVID case is a medical emergency, check out If You Have One of These Symptoms, the CDC Says Go to the Hospital Now. U.K. variant: 32 percent of patients Other variants: 29 percent of patients And for more COVID news delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. U.K. variant: 25 percent of patients Other variants: 21 percent of patients And for more subtle COVID symptoms to look out for, check out If You Notice This in Your Mouth, You Could Have COVID, Experts Warn. U.K. variant: 21.8 percent of patients Other variants: 19 percent of patients And for the latest in how COVID can affect you long-term, check out You May Never Be Able to Do This After Surviving COVID, Study Warns.
