Two symptoms have been scratched off the list of common signs of Covid-19, nearly three years after the arrival of the deadly virus.
According to the Zoe Covid app, a sore throat and runny nose - which used to be main indicators of Coronavirus - are no longer deemed major signs.
New Covid strains have been rapidly developing across the globe, and the symptoms related to the infection are also changing quickly, so it is becoming more and more difficult to identify the disease.
While many experts are breathing a sigh of relief as symptoms are noted as being milder now, the long-term effects are still a concern.
Research into the virus found that it can affect all of your organs from your heart to your nervous system, causing severe implications in some patients.
The latest probe into Covid-19 has found a new ‘top’ indicator of infection replacing the loss of smell and taste, high fever and breathlessness as the ‘classic’ symptoms of Covid.
Many patients are now reporting sharp pain in the shoulders and legs, which is widely known in the medical community as myalgia.
Myalgia - also known as muscle aches and pains - is said to arise from the effects of inflammatory molecules released by immune cells in response to the virus.
According to the Zoe Covid app, which has been tracking Covid symptoms from the beginning of the pandemic, Myalgia is regarded as the ‘top’ symptom of Covid and is now widely reported.
Dr Angelique Coetzee, who had first detected the Omicron variant, said myalgia tends to affect unvaccinated patients more intensely, but that those who have received the vaccine can still experience it.
“Covid-related muscle pains can range from being mild to quite debilitating, especially when they occur alongside fatigue," the study app says.
“For some people, this muscle pain stops them from doing day-to-day tasks," the health body adds.
Health officials are warning that this sign can appear “early" in the infection period.
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