On similar tracks, the common symptom of the common cold – a sore throat – can also determine whether you have contracted the coronavirus.
In a recent media briefing World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke of a new subspecies of the highly permeable Omicron variant of Covid-19, which has now been detected in India.
A top health official in India said on July 8 that Omicron sub-version BA.4, BA.5 could lead to an increase in new COVID infections.
Ghebreyesus also talked about the global sudden spurt in coronavirus cases. “Globally the reported cases have increased by almost 30 per cent in the last two weeks. Four of the WHO’s six sub-regions saw an increase in cases last week,” he said. “In Europe and the US, Ba.4 and Ba.5 are driving waves. A new sub-lineage of countries like India BA.2.75 This has also been detected, which we are following.”
The SARs-CoV-2 virus is a respiratory illness similar to the common cold or influenza. It can affect both the upper and lower respiratory tract, giving light to many symptoms.
Symptoms for sore throat
With the monsoon season approaching after a tough period of prolonged heat wave, the weather change has triggered viral fever with cough and cold in many.
At such times, sore throat is very common among patients and recently experts believe that the duration of your symptoms can tell whether you have COVID-19 or not.
However, there is no evidence to support that sore throat and a COVID-19 Is the throat different?
What happens during a sore throat?
Sore throat is one of the most common symptoms that arise with respiratory infections. Apart from this, fever, cough, runny nose and sneezing are some of the other most common symptoms found in people infected with covid or common cold/flu.
If you develop a sore throat due to COVID-19, you may experience pain, scratching, thickening in your throat, especially when swallowing something. There may be a dry, burning feeling that may be the result of swelling in the back of your throat.
How to differentiate between covid and non-covid sore throat?
The best way to differentiate between COVID and the common cold/flu is by the severity of the illness and how fast the virus travels. COVID-19 spreads more easily than the flu or the common cold and takes longer to recover.
While a sore throat is a lesser-known symptom of Covid, it is an early sign of the disease and is common in children and adults aged 65 and over, according to data collected by the UK’s Zoey Covid Symptom Study app.
In addition to being “relatively mild”, the experts in charge of the app suggest that a sore throat from Covid lasts no more than five days.
According to experts, anyone suffering from sore throat for more than five days should get themselves tested for any other disease.
Reportedly, a Covid sore throat “usually” appears in the first week of illness and can improve “quite quickly”.
“It seems to get worse on the first day of infection but gets better each next day,” explain the ZOE researchers.
While a sore throat is usually a symptom of COVID-19, it is not the only one. According to the ZOE Covid app, 69% of users have reported a headache, making it a major symptom.
Other signs and symptoms of COVID-19
A person suffering from the diseases listed below should get tested for COVID-19
– fever or chills
– cough
– fatigue
– muscle or body pain
– New loss of taste or smell
– Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
– Congested or runny nose
– Gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea
Remedies for sore throat of covid
Drink plenty of warm water and stay hydrated. You can also add a spoonful of honey to soothe sore throat and swelling.
Gargling with salt water is also considered a soothing practice. You can also do the same with throat lozenges, which help keep your throat moist.
Make sure you get enough rest so that your body’s immune system can recharge and combat infection effectively.
If home remedies fail, you can take over-the-counter medications prescribed by your doctors to ease your pain.