While the symptoms of Covid and the common cold are broadly similar, there are some key differences between them
A common cold and COVID-19 share some similar symptoms(Image: Getty Images/Westend61)
A new strain of Covid-19 has landed in the UK ahead of the summer season.
Called NB.1.8.1, the variant has been added to the World Health Organisation (WHO) watch list and is one of six SARS-CoV-2 variants currently being monitored.
Dubbed the ‘Nimbus’ variant, it has already been detected in at least 22 countries, including China, Australia, Thailand, the US, and the UK.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the new variant is making up a “growing proportion” of Covid cases worldwide, with at least 13 cases confirmed in England as of June 5.
The WHO has warned the new variant could be “more transmissible” than earlier Covid strains, meaning it could be spread from person to person more easily. Experts say it could even become the “dominant” strain next winter.
NB.1.8.1 have been linked to spikes in Covid cases(Image: Getty/Massimiliano Finzi)What is the new Nimbus Covid variant?
The Nimbus variant is a sub-variant of Omicron, which tends to cause mostly mild symptoms, as opposed to lower respiratory tract symptoms like earlier versions of the virus.
“NB.1.8.1 is one of the most recent SARS-CoV-2 variants in circulation,” explains Francois Balloux, Professor of Computational Systems Biology and Director at the UCL Genetics Institute.
“It likely originated through a recombination event between a previous Omicron recombinant called XDE and Omicron JN.1, the direct descendent of BA.2.86 (aka Pirola),” Prof Balloux told the Manchester Evening News.
A ‘razor blade sensation’ sore throat could be a sign of the new Covid variant(Image: Getty Images)
Prof Balloux added: “It may be here to stay and might even replace the current dominant strains next winter. This being said, it is most unlikely to cause surges of severe [illness] such as those we witnessed during the pandemic.”
How common are colds in summer?
Colds are typically associated with winter, but they don’t disappear in the summer months.
Experts say that some cold-causing viruses are even more common in the summer. According to Dr Lindsay Broadbent, assistant professor in virology at the University of Surrey, rhinoviruses typically cause classic winter colds, whereas adenoviruses peak in the summer.
Brits with Covid symptoms have been advised to ‘stay at home'(Image: Getty Images)
“The risk of being exposed to a virus and getting sick depends on lots of factors including our behaviour, the environment and how common those viruses are at any given time,” Dr Broadbent told the Telegraph.
“There is often more socialising and travel during the summer months, this may mean we are in contact with a lot more people than usual,” she adds.
Difference between Covid and common cold symptoms
According to the NHS, the main symptoms of a common cold include a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, a sore throat, a hoarse voice, a cough, and feeling tired and unwell.
While Covid also causes cold-like symptoms for most people, people also tend to report having a fever.
Director & Superintendent Pharmacist, Prescription Doctor, Mohamed Imran Lakhi, told the Mirror: “People commonly report a severe sore throat, persistent fatigue, mild cough, fever, muscle aches, and nasal congestion.
“Some also experience digestive issues like nausea or diarrhoea, which isn’t always typical with Covid variants.”
Gastrointestinal symptoms are ‘not typical’ of former Covid variants(Image: Getty Images)
According to Dr Naveed Asif, GP at The London General Practice, the NB.1.8.1 variant has a distinctive symptom, a severe sore throat known as a “razor blade sensation”. This is a sharp, stabbing pain when you swallow, often at the back of the throat.
While symptoms may offer clues as to which virus you have, there is no way to know for sure without a Covid test, which can be bought from pharmacies across the UK.
There are currently no Covid-19 restrictions in place, the UKHSA says, but it advises people with symptoms of Covid, a high temperature, or who do not feel well enough to go to work, school, childcare, or do normal activities to “avoid contact with vulnerable people and stay at home if possible”.
The WHO has said it is not advising that travel restrictions are imposed in light of the new variant.