January 27, 2021

expert reaction to changes in COVID symptoms associated with the UK variant as indicated in the ONS Infection Survey

A different symptom profile is suggested for new variant cases in the latest release from the ONS (Office for National Statistics) COVID-19 Infection Survey on characteristics of people testing positive for COVID-19.

Prof Richard Tedder, Senior Research Investigator in Medical Virology, Imperial College London, said:

“Although there is some laboratory evidence that the variant viruses, as opposed to the first wave viruses, may show an enhanced ability to infect cells in the laboratory it is not clear how or why this may increase the infectivity and transmissibility of virus between humans. The fact that it has been reported that the second wave viruses, usually called variants, are more likely to cause symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection, i.e. coughs and colds, may indicate that a trivial difference in the way the virus may cause disease symptoms could cause more easy transmission between people. For example if there is an increased amount of coughing and perhaps sneezing associated with a particular variant virus, these two activities can markedly increase the amount of virus which is shed into the environment, thereby making it ‘more infectious’.

“Small changes in the symptomatology could in this way have large change in the ease with which a virus can be transmitted between people. Either way the most important feature is to remain distant from other people and wear facial covering able to reduce shedding of sneeze- and cough-generated droplets when outside the home. The old saying ‘coughs and sneezes spread diseases’ is as appropriate now as it was many decades ago.”

Prof Lawrence Young, Virologist and Professor of Molecular Oncology at the University of Warwick, said:

“Mutations in the UK virus variant could influence the symptoms associated with infection. This variant is more transmissible and infected individuals appear to have higher virus loads which means they produce more virus. This could result in more widespread infection within the body perhaps accounting for more coughs, muscle pain and tiredness. The virus has 23 changes compared to the original Wuhan virus. Some of these changes in different parts of the virus could affect the body’s immune response and also influence the range of symptoms associated with infection.”

https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveyuk22january2021

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