Coronavirus: New Covid symptoms 'may be similar to cold or flu'

A sore throat is one of the symptoms included in the UK Health Security Agency's updated list

Covid-19 symptoms may not be limited to just fever, new continuous cough or loss of sense of smell or taste, the Department of Health has acknowledged.

It follows the official list of symptoms being expanded to include nine more signs of a coronavirus infection.

The UK Health Security Agency's updated guidance now lists a sore throat, muscle pains and diarrhoea.

Dr Frances O'Hagan from the British Medical Association (BMA), described the move as "confusing".

She said general practitioners have always said that symptoms should include a headache, sore throat and runny nose.

"Those are the symptoms that we have been seeing in people from the start of the pandemic - I am not sure why this is being announced now - it is confusing for the public," she said.

In a statement to BBC News NI, the Department of Health said Covid-19 symptoms "may be similar to the cold or flu" and "may vary for different age groups or different variants of the virus".

Dr Frances O'Hagan said the new list was confusing for the public

In England, tests for Covid are no longer free of charge, but they continue to be available to everyone in Northern Ireland up to 22 April.

With the official list of Covid symptoms expanded, it is thought that will mean more people in England having to test.

'Avoid spreading infection'

Dr Frances O'Hagan said Northern Ireland had a good track record of testing and people were aware symptoms were not confined to the three central symptoms identified at the outset of the pandemic.

The Department of Health added that members of the public with a cough, temperature or loss of smell and taste were still advised to stay at home and book a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.

"If you have other symptoms of a respiratory virus (such as runny nose, sore throat or headache) you can take a LFD (lateral flow device) test," she outlined.

"Even if you don't have Covid, your symptoms may be caused by another respiratory virus such as rhinovirus which can be easily passed on to others.

"It is therefore advisable to stay at home if you can and reduce contact with others when you have respiratory virus symptoms to avoid spreading infection to others."

The rhinovirus is the most common viral infectious agent in humans and is the predominant cause of the common cold.

There has been widespread debate in the UK about precisely which symptoms should be recognised and qualify somebody for a Covid test.