An expert recently suggested that anyone with common cold symptoms may have been infected with the coronavirus and should be tested immediately to see if they have the delta variant.
Dr. Ronan Glynn, the deputy chief medical officer in Ireland, recently told The Irish Times that the delta variant has been giving people different symptoms than the traditional coronavirus mutation, which suggests more people should be getting tested.
Specifically, Glynn highlighted the following COVID-19 symptoms have come from the delta variant:
- Sore throat
- Nasal symptoms
- Headaches
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Fever
- Changes in smell or taste
These symptoms are similar to the COVID-19 symptoms listed on the ZOE COVID Symptom study, which has reported the most common symptoms among fully vaccinated people who have been infected with the coronavirus.
And, per The Irish Times, a recent study from the general practitioners in Ireland found the most common current delta variant symptoms include:
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Nasal congestions
Several of these symptoms are similar to the traditional coronavirus symptoms and the common cold, which suggests it might be hard to distinguish if someone’s sick from the common cold or sick from COVID-19. Tests, Glynn said, are the key to moving forward.
- “Anyone with sore throat, headache, runny nose, blocked nose or sinus should not assume it’s a regular cold. Don’t assume it is hay fever or seasonal. If it’s any way unusual for you, please isolate and get a test,” Glynn said.
Dr. Eddie Stenehjem, an infectious diseases physician with Intermountain Healthcare, recently told the Deseret News that experts here in the U.S. want people to get tested because of the similarity in symptoms.
- “More people are seeing that COVID-19 is resulting in just common cold symptoms. You know, sore throat, runny nose. Not as much cough, higher fever, etc.,” he told the Deseret News.
Anyone with cold-like symptoms, he said, should get tested.
- “COVID-19 is an upper respiratory infection, period. So if you have the signs and symptoms of a cold, that could be COVID-19,” Stenehjem said. “It is possible that we’re seeing kind of an evolution of symptoms due to the changing variant. But it’s also possible we’re just seeing a difference in symptoms based on age.”