Simple seasonal cooling or Covid-19? The only way to know is to take a test. It has always been like this, but over the months (now years) of the pandemic - let's face it - many have lost the good habit, especially in the absence of symptoms that were, at personal discretion, sensational. Yet it really should be done. It seems, in fact, that the most frequent manifestations of Sars-Cov-2 infection are changing, merging with those of seasonal ailments: loss of taste and smell are now uncommon symptoms, and even fever and persistent cough are losing ground. compared to sore throat, stuffy nose and sneezing.
This is what emerges from the investigation by a team of researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard and King's College London, who, through an app of their own creation (Zoe Covid Study), have collected information on symptoms of millions of users tested positive for coronavirus. In the last period, they argue, the rankings of the most frequent manifestations are changing, also in relation to the vaccination status. There may be several reasons, they add, from the greater degree of immunity of the population that avoids serious illness in most cases, to the fact that now, with the return to school, more young people could get sick.
For those who are fully vaccinated
According to the data collected, people who claim to be fully vaccinated generally reported fewer symptoms and for a short period of time, which suggests that they have I quickly resumed. The most frequent manifestations were in order: sore throat, runny nose, stuffy nose, persistent cough and headache. Loss of smell (anosmia), fever and shortness of breath, which still today are counted among the most characteristic symptoms of Covid-19 on institutional sites, finish in sixth, eighth and twenty-ninth place respectively.
Among the people who have not completed the vaccination course, however, the most common symptom of Covid-19 is headache, followed by runny nose, sore throat and frequent sneezing. Persistent cough is in fifth place, the only representative of the original disease indicators.
For those who are not vaccinated
For those who are not vaccinated, the most common symptoms are more similar to the "classic" profile of Covid-19. The top five symptoms are headache, sore throat, runny nose, fever and persistent cough. Loss of smell reappears in ninth place for frequency, while shortness of breath remains in thirtieth position. On the other hand, as evidenced by other researches, the virus has evolved over time and with it its manifestations.
Watch out for sneezing!
An interesting note, according to the researchers. , is that the vaccinated and even more those who have not completed the vaccination cycle more often report frequent sneezing. Not a serious symptom for the individual, but sneezing is one of the most effective ways of spreading the coronavirus. For this reason, the team of researchers suggests to those who, despite being relatively well, start sneezing frequently to take a test to detect the presence of Sars-Cov-2 and to wear a mask so as to limit the chances of contagion. Especially if you live and work with vulnerable people.
The limits of the investigation
There are obviously limits in this investigation. First of all, it is not possible to strictly control the information, which is that reported by users who choose to share their data through the company's app. Secondly, it is not possible to know which variant of Sars-Cov-2 has infected each user, nor therefore to understand if there are symptomatological differences. Beyond the vaccination status, finally, it is not possible to know how many times a person has actually come into contact with Sars-Cov-2, and therefore what his degree of immunization is.
