Early in the pandemic, reports of individuals losing their sense of taste and smell were widespread. A new study, however, says these hallmarks of COVID-19 are increasingly rare.
According to the Zoe Health Study, the most common symptoms reported include a headache, sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, and a persistent cough.
The research, conducted by scientists at Harvard and Stanford universities, was gleaned by studying symptoms logged via an app by participants in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Some of the symptoms most commonly listed early in the pandemic now rank relatively low. Shortness of breath, previously widely reported, is currently only the 29th most prevalent symptom among COVID-19 sufferers.
The study’s authors also found differences between the symptoms experienced by vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, though these were modest.
Unvaccinated individuals reported more fevers and sore throats, while vaccinated people experienced more sneezing and runny noses.
In fact, the authors recommend, “If you’ve been vaccinated and start sneezing a lot without an explanation, you should get a COVID test, especially if you are living or working around people who are at greater risk from the disease.”
This study is not the first time that light has been shed on what appear to be evolving COVID-19 symptoms.
An article in Infectious Disease Reports from June revealed that the late 2021 Delta wave led to pneumonia-like symptoms in suffers, but the subsequent Omicron wave manifested more like a common cold.
Experts theorize that the Delta variant’s targeting of the lower respiratory system is likely to blame for the differences. Omicron tends to reside in the upper respiratory system. However, it is entirely possible that this can once again flip as the virus continues to evolve.
Ongoing vaccine rollouts coupled with repeated bouts of infection alter and, theoretically, boost immune system responses — at least temporarily.
The global population is potentially building some form of immunity to COVID-19, making it difficult, if not impossible, to confirm whether Omicron is more severe than Delta.
Regardless, researchers will continue to investigate mutating strains of the virus, particularly as colder weather and a potential spike in infections loom this fall.