Key COVID symptoms have changed, research shows

(NEXSTAR) – Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, patients have reported dozens of different symptoms, ranging from cold and flu-like symptoms to more unique symptoms, including “COVID tongue.”

But as with all viruses, the primary symptoms associated with COVID have changed and may vary depending on your vaccination status, according to a new list released last week.

The ZOE Health Study — a collaborative effort by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, King’s College London, Stanford University School of Medicine and health app ZOE — has an updated list of the top COVID cases of the moment -Symptoms published reported by its participants.

Researchers found that for participants in all three groups – fully vaccinated, those who received only one dose and unvaccinated – four of the five most commonly reported symptoms were the same: sore throat, runny nose, persistent cough and headache.

However, their prevalences between groups vary, as does the fifth symptom.

A stuffy nose is the third most common symptom in vaccinated people. In the partially vaccinated it is sneezing and in the unvaccinated it is fever.

Below are the symptoms most commonly reported in the three groups, in order of frequency.

In fully vaccinated participants, symptoms commonly reported earlier in the pandemic, such as loss of smell, fever and shortness of breath, were less common. Loss of smell and shortness of breath were also reported less frequently by unvaccinated patients who tested positive for COVID.

Those who have been vaccinated have also reported sneezing more frequently than those who have not received a dose. Sneezing and a runny nose have not previously been considered symptoms of COVID infection, according to ZOE.

Other commonly reported symptoms also appear to be less common, such as chills or chills; COVID toes or fingers; and abdominal pain.

Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still lists symptoms such as fatigue, muscle or body aches, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea as possible COVID symptoms. These are the same symptoms listed in 2021 and 2020.

Although ZOE did not provide details on how severe these symptoms were or which COVID variant they are related to, the researchers found that the symptoms of Omicron, currently the world’s dominant variant, appear to be milder than the once-dominant Delta variant .

Sore throats and less loss of smell were reported more often in patients with the Omicron variant than in patients with the Delta variant. Those who have been vaccinated also face a shorter COVID period than those with Delta.

Earlier this year, as the BA.5 omicron subvariant became dominant in the US, younger patients were noticing, according to Dr. Sergio Segarra, chief medical officer at Miami’s Baptist Hospital, expressed extreme fatigue.

BA.5 remains the most prominent strain in the US, CDC data shows, followed by BA.4.6, BQ.1.1, and BQ.1. Delta and earlier Omicron variants such as BA.1.1 and BA.2 are no longer recognized.

Some medical experts are concerned that the main symptoms of COVID, all of which are very cold and flu-like, are very similar to other viruses that gradually appear as we approach winter.

“Right now we have other competing viruses,” said Dr. Ilan Shapiro, AltaMed’s Los Angeles-based chief medical affairs officer, told Nexstar. “We’re starting to see influenza, we’re starting to see rhinovirus, we’re starting to see a lot of other viruses.” He stressed the importance of testing because treatment can be different for each virus.

Alix Martichoux contributed to this report.