Covid linked with wider set of symptoms than previously thought

Chills, a loss of appetite, headaches and muscle aches could be additional symptoms of coronavirus, a study suggests.

This is in addition to the classic symptoms – losing your sense of smell and taste, a fever and a new persistent cough.

A study of more than one million people in England revealed the extra symptoms that are linked with having Covid-19.

The research is based on swab tests and questionnaires collected between June 2020 and January 2021 as part of the Imperial College London-led React study.

Having any of the other symptoms or the classic ones, either alone or in combination, was associated with infection with Covid-19 and the more symptoms people showed the more likely they were to test positive.

But around 60% of infected people did not report any symptoms in the week leading up to their test.

The study also found that there was a variation in symptoms with age.

While chills were linked with testing positive across all ages, headaches were reported in young people aged five to 17 and appetite loss was reported more in 18-54 year olds and those aged 55 and over.