Covid symptoms: the new symptoms of the virus you should know about - and what are long Covid symptoms?

The latest UK symptoms include a headache, chills and loss of appetite

Recognising Covid-19 symptoms when they appear and immediately self-isolating has been crucial for stopping the spread of the virus.

While contracting coronavirus is a different experience for each individual, many people experience mild symptoms that gradually worsen over a few days.

Now, a new study has revealed four further symptoms associated with the virus, on top of the three classic symptoms that health officials have instructed people to be aware of.

One of the new Covid symptoms is a headache (Shutterstock)

So, what are all the symptoms you should know about – including those for long Covid?

Here is everything you need to know.

What are the classic Covid symptoms?

The classic symptoms of coronavirus that experts identified earlier in the pandemic are a new continuous cough, fever, and loss of taste and smell.

If you experience these symptoms, you need to isolate and book a Covid-19 test immediately.

Scientists have been closely monitoring the emergence of new variants of the virus - including the Kent, South African and Bristol strains - to detect if there are further symptoms that people should be aware of.

Apart from the common three, a new study has identified lesser-known symptoms that can signal that you have contracted coronavirus.

What are the new symptoms?

The study, carried out by experts at Imperial College London and involving more than one million people, discovered four new coronavirus symptoms.

However, some of these symptoms are similar to those associated with seasonal illnesses, such as flu, which presents the problem of people mistakenly believing they have Covid-19.

The new symptoms were chills, loss of appetite, headache and muscle aches.

The chills symptom was a novel finding and had not previously been identified as a coronavirus symptom through research.

Researchers found that the more symptoms people showed, the more likely they were to return a positive Covid-19 test.

Yet roughly 60 per cent of those with coronavirus in the study did not report any symptoms in the week leading up to taking a test.

The researchers also estimated that if every person who had the three official symptoms had a test, only half of all symptomatic infections would be picked up.

They claimed if the new four symptoms were included in the official list, an estimated three-quarters of symptomatic infections could be identified.

And looking at the new UK variant of the virus, which is now the dominant version in the country, the study found people with this strain were more likely to develop a persistent cough, but less likely to experience a loss of taste or smell.

Do the symptoms differ by age?

The study also showed that the four new symptoms differed by age.

Headaches were reported in children aged five to 17, while chills were linked to people of all ages.

Loss of appetite was found in the 18 to 54 and 55+ age groups, and muscle aches were also found in people aged 18 to 54.

Children with the virus were less likely to report a fever, persistent cough and appetite loss than adults.

Are there more Covid symptoms?

All of the new symptoms, except from the chills, had previously been found in an earlier Zoe Covid Symptom Study.

The leading UK study, which works with epidemiologists at King’s College London, tracks the symptoms of more than four million people globally.

It has found that the most commonly reported symptoms outside the official three are: headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle pains, diarrhoea, skin rash, and confusion and delirium in elderly people.

Researchers are also keeping a close eye on another reported symptom known as “Covid tongue”, which includes an inflamed tongue with indentations on the side, small bumps or patchy areas on the tongue and swelling of the mouth.

What are the long Covid symptoms?

Most people experience coronavirus symptoms for a few days, but many suffer from long-term effects after contracting the disease.

This is known as “long Covid”, and often symptoms can last for weeks or months beyond testing positive.

Around one in 10 people who test positive for the virus show symptoms for a period of 12 weeks or longer, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The British Heart Foundation has identified the most common symptoms of long Covid.

These can include: fatigue, breathlessness, anxiety and depression, palpitations, chest pains, joint or muscle pain, and not being able to think straight or focus (“brain fog”).