This week, the ZOE Covid study predicted that around 3.7 million people are currently symptomatic with Covid-19. But what are the symptoms and what should you look out for? Here’s everything you need to know.

What are the current Covid rates?

Covid-19 infections in the UK rose by 32 per cent on the previous week with around 2.3 million people infected, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show. Infections in all four UK nations are rising, with levels in England returning to where they were at the end of April. The latest wave is led by the newer Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5, which are more contagious than other strains and can evade immune protection created by vaccines or previous infections.

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Grassroots lobby group Doctors’ Association UK (DAUK) told i that with the withdrawal of free-flow tests for the majority it is difficult to know the exact numbers of cases, but it is possible that current official figures are a “significant underestimate ». However, the Zoe Covid study, which has been collecting data throughout the pandemic, estimates that there are currently around 320,000 new infections across the UK every day.

What are the symptoms of Covid?

The NHS says that symptoms of coronavirus (Covid-19) in adults may include:

high temperature or chills (chills) – a high temperature means you feel warm when you touch your chest or back (no need to take your temperature) a new, persistent cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour or 3 or more episodes of coughing in 24 hours loss or change in sense of smell or taste; breathing difficulty feeling tired or exhausted a body that hurts a headache sore throat stuffy or runny loss of appetite diarrhea feeling sick or ill

The Zoe Covid study has also identified the tongue of Covid as a symptom and includes “mouth ulcers and their tongue appearing coated or spotted”, as well as rashes. The website says: “The most common are hives (hives), hives or chickenpox (papular or vesicular rash) and Covid-like rash on fingers and toes (like snowballs).” It identifies the five most common symptoms after 2 vaccinations as follows: They said: “Previously ‘traditional’ symptoms, as still described on the government website, such as anosmia (loss of smell), shortness of breath and fever are ranked much further down the list, at 6, 29 and 8 respectively.” He adds: “If you have not yet been vaccinated, then the symptoms are more recognizable than the traditional initial classification, however, we can still see some changes since the first appearance of Covid-19 more than a year ago.

Where to enter a lateral flow test result

The government advises people to report their results every time they take a lateral flow test. You can report your test result to the government here. You will need the QR code or ID number printed on the test strip (the part of the kit that shows your result) and a mobile phone number so they can text you to confirm they have received your result. You cannot use this service to report results from a test kit that you have paid for. If you paid for a test, check the test kit instructions to see if you need to report your results to the private testing provider.

What to do if you are positive

England

The government recommends you follow NHS advice if you have Covid symptoms or test positive. The NHS says that if you test positive, you should try to stay at home and avoid other people for five days, starting the day after you were tested, and avoid meeting people at higher risk of Covid-19 for 10 days. If a person aged 18 or younger tests positive, they should try to stay home and avoid contact with other people for three days, as children and young adults tend to be infectious for a shorter period of time than adults. The advice for people who feel unwell but have not tested positive is to stay at home and avoid meeting others until they feel better. The NHS recommends that you take the following steps to avoid spreading Covid-19 to others:

Try to work from home if you can – if you can’t work from home, ask your employer about the options available to you Stay at home if you can – this helps reduce the number of people you have contact with Avoid contact with people at higher risk of Covid-19 for 10 days, especially if their immune systems mean they are at higher risk of serious illness from coronavirus, even if they have been vaccinated Follow the tips on how to avoid spreading Covid-19 to people you live with Let people who need to come to your home know that you’ve tested positive or have symptoms – they can then take steps to protect themselves, such as wearing a face covering that fits them, staying away from you as much as possible and washing their hands regularly their hands Contact your healthcare provider and tell them about your positive result or symptoms if you are asked to attend an in-person medical or dental appointment Ask friends, relatives or neighbors to bring you food or other essentials.

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Scotland

The Scottish Government recommends that you follow the advice on NHS Inform. If you test positive, you should stay at home and avoid contact with other people for five days after the day you were tested or the day your symptoms started (whichever was earlier). If you have not tested positive, you should try to stay home until you feel better. It is also recommended that you take the following steps to keep others safe:

Work from home if you can. If you can’t work from home, talk to your employer about your options Avoid close contact with anyone at higher risk, especially people with weakened immune systems, for 10 days If you have been asked to attend an in-person medical or dental appointment, tell them about your symptoms You may want to ask friends, relatives or neighbors to bring you food and other essentials.

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Wales

Wales continues to offer free lateral flow tests to people with symptoms throughout July. You can order them here. If you develop symptoms of Covid-19, you should self-isolate and order a test. Keep isolating until you get the result. If the test is negative, you can leave isolation immediately. If you test positive, you are advised to self-isolate for five full days, starting the day after you tested, and then take another test. If the test is negative, take another test the next day. If this test is also negative, you can leave the isolation. If either test is positive, continue isolation until you receive negative tests on two consecutive days or until day 10, whichever is earlier.

North Ireland

The Northern Ireland government is advising people to self-isolate immediately if they have symptoms of Covid-19 or have tested positive. If you develop symptoms, you should self-isolate and order a test. Keep isolating until you get the result. If the test is negative, you can leave isolation immediately. If you test positive, you are advised to self-isolate for five full days, starting the day after you tested, and then take another test. If this test is negative, take another test the next day. If this test is also negative, you can leave the isolation. If either test is positive, continue isolation until you receive negative tests on two consecutive days or until day 10, whichever is earlier.