Over the last two years, the coronavirus has rapidly evolved in both its ability to spread and infect people, as well as the symptoms it causes. So much so that anosmia (loss of smell), shortness of breath and fever that were once considered to be ‘classic’ symptoms for COVID are no longer the primary marker for the disease. Here are three symptoms that are not exactly new, but definitely less talked about.
What are the 3 less talked about COVID symptoms?
Among the three symptoms, 2 include skin rashes and the third is loss of appetite. COVID rashes are usually itchy and this may lead to poor sleep. One of the biggest signs to know that it is COVID is people getting red patches on their faces after going out in the sun.
‘Prickly heat’ or chickenpox-type rash:
This is the most commonly reported rash and it appears as small areas of itchy red bumps. It can occur anywhere on the body, usually starting around the elbows or knees. It can sometimes be crusty, weepy or form blisters and does not tend to affect the face, a report by ZOE COVID app stated
Hive-type rash (urticaria):
This is the second most commonly reported rash and appears suddenly as raised bumps on the skin which come and go quite quickly over hours. It can involve any part of the body, including the face. This rash is extremely itchy and often starts with intense itching of the palms or soles, and can cause swelling of the lips and eyelids.
How common are COVID rashes?
During earlier waves, some of the least common symptoms of COVID-19 included characteristic skin rashes that were seen in 1 in 10 people. Even now it is extremely rare.
However, our past data has shown that COVID rashes can be stubborn and may require prescribed medication.
Skipping meals
Losing your appetite is an early sign of COVID but it usually comes back after a few days.
Early in the pandemic, studies found there was a distinct cluster of gastrointestinal COVID symptoms, including headache, loss of smell, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, sore throat, chest pain, no cough.
Researchers also discovered that people with more severe COVID had loss of appetite alongside confusion, or clustered with shortness of breath, diarrhoea and abdominal pain, and were more likely to end up in hospital.
How common is skipping meals in COVID?
Early in the pandemic, loss of appetite was reported by around three in ten adults with COVID, rising to roughly four in ten people over 65. That’s now fallen slightly with subsequent variants and vaccination.
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