Senior scientists have called on the UK to increase its official Covid symptoms list to reduce missed cases and to ensure that more people are aware of the importance of self-isolation.Researchers include Prof Calum Smple, a member the government's Sage committee of experts. They argue that the UK's restrictive definition of Covid causes delays in the identification of people with the disease, and could even miss them, which can hamper efforts to stop the spread of the virus.In the British Medical Journal, Semple of the University of Liverpool and Dr Alex Crozier from UCL, among others, describe how Covid patients don't always experience the official UK symptoms of high fever, a continuous cough or loss of sense of taste or smell early in the disease.They write that improving control over transmission is essential to reopen society faster and more fairly. This begins with a more contextually appropriate case definition. It is supported by adaptive, localized, and information-led public healthcare responses.The UK lists three symptoms for Covid. However, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists 11, and the World Health Organization lists 13. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control lists a variety of symptoms that are associated with mild-to moderate Covid-19. These include headaches, weakness, tiredness, muscle pains, runny noses, appetite loss, and sore throat.Scientists note that many of these symptoms are more prevalent in younger, unvaccinated individuals who are more susceptible to contracting the virus.Researchers agree that increasing the number of symptoms people need to look for before undergoing a test will increase the demand for it and decrease self-isolation. They claim that testing people using a wider range of symptoms can help to spot more cases faster without placing too much strain on testing resources.Alexander Edwards, an associate professor of biomedical technology at University of Reading, stated that the scientists brought up a valid point regarding how to identify cases in the community.Many symptoms are common. The best way to determine if someone has Covid is to combine symptoms with their risk of being exposed and test. He said that self-reporting symptoms can be difficult as even the words we use may be misinterpreted.However, identifying people infected is only part of the story. Unless you can support those infected to isolate themselves from others, and break the cycle of infection, testing alone will not reduce the disease's burden.Jon Deeks, a professor of biostatistics from the University of Birmingham, stated that although expanding the official symptoms list could increase the demand for testing, it would still be worth it if it lead to earlier detection of cases or a reduction in people spreading it.Covid-19 patients who have symptoms such as lateral flow are not eligible for testing. However, there are numerous reports that people are using them to treat their symptoms.They are often not well-suited because they fail to detect early stages of infection and cannot detect low viral loads, which is common at this time. It is important that everyone at risk for infection, including those with these symptoms, has access to PCR testing as soon as possible to reduce the spread of disease.
