Coronavirus: Here's a list of COVID symptoms, according to the variants

Late last year, a new COVID variant was detected in the south-east of England. Scientists and medical professionals worked tirelessly towards establishing the cause of the mutation and have reportedly identified this new variant as the reason behind the faster spread of the virus.

According to a recent report by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), COVID symptoms are more prevalent in people who have contracted the new UK strain. That said, as per the data collected between November 5, 2020 and January 16, 2021, here are the most common COVID symptoms in relation to their variants.

According to the NHS guidelines, the most commonly observed symptoms in people infected by the new COVID strain (UK variant) are fever, sore throat, muscle pain, cough and fatigue.

Growing evidence suggests that the mutant virus may be more infectious than the original strain, considering the recent rise in the number of COVID cases in England. Besides that, the new UK strain is said to have a higher than ever mortality rate. Young people, apart from the high-risk groups are now at risk too.

The recent data collected by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that about 19% of COVID patients involved in the study experienced fever linked to the original variant, whereas 22% cases were associated with the new COVID strain.

Similarly, patients who had contracted the new variant showed a higher percentage of experiencing cough symptoms than those who were infected with the original strain. As per the reports, 28% contributed to the original variant, while 35% of the cases contributed to the UK variant.

Shortness of breath is one of the most common symptoms of COVID-19. That said, little to no difference was found in people suffering from the original or the new coronavirus strain.

Of the people infected with the original strain, 21% showed signs of muscle aches, while 24% of the cases infected with the UK strain were susceptible to the same symptom.

Unlike other symptoms, loss of sense of smell and taste were the only two symptoms that were higher in people infected with the original strain rather than the individuals who had contracted the new variant. About 19% and 18% of the patients with the original strain complained of loss of sense of smell and taste respectively. On the other hand, of those who had contracted the new COVID-19 strain, 16% reported loss of sense of smell and 15% complained of loss of taste as a symptom.

In terms of headaches as a symptom of COVID-19, the study however showed no difference between the two strains.

With 22%, sore throat was higher in people who had contracted the new strain as compared to the 19% linked to the original variant.

The latest ONS study suggested that there was no difference in the percentage of gastrointestinal symptoms experienced by both the variant groups.

While the symptoms of COVID-19 can go from mild to severe complications, the list has only increased and expanded since it's outbreak almost a year ago. That said, from fever to fatigue to other ailments, here are some common symptoms of COVID-19's original strain.

- Fever

-Dry cough

-Fatigue

-Loss of sense of smell and taste

- Chest pain

- Sore throat

- Diarrhoea

- Nausea

Considering the damage COVID-19 has caused up until now, it is important to stay vigilant and prepared for the worst.

In case you have continuous coughs, fever, fatigue or loss of sense of smell and taste, you must get yourself diagnosed for the same.

Isolate yourself immediately and disinfect all the places you have touched so as to contain the spread of the virus.

Besides that, if you experience heavy chest pain, mental confusion, shortness of breath and other serious complications, seek medical help and visit a hospital.