If you have sore throat and runny nose, there is a chance it will be Covid not cold, warn researchers.
The Zoe Covid study team has been tracking the pandemic using feedback from the general public. It estimates half of people with cold-like symptoms actually have Covid.
They describe an “explosion” of Covid cases over the last week, driven by the new Omicron variant.
About 144,000 people a day are catching it and then feeling unwell.
For most, Covid is a mild disease. Some get no symptoms at all.
But it can still cause very serious illness in some people, including those who did not receive vaccination.
Another study found that Omicron patients are less likely to go to hospital than those with the Delta coronavirus variant.
People who test positive for Omicron are 15-20% less likely to be admitted to hospital compared to those infected with Delta, according to a new study in England.
Imperial College London said people with PCR-confirmed Omicron are 40-45% less likely to spend a night or more in hospital compared with Delta.
However, the risk of hospitalisation is higher for those who did not receive their vaccination according to the study.
It comes as reports indicate Omicron is milder than Delta for most people. But the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) did not confirm this, which is due to announce its findings on the variant on Thursday.
