More and more people have been vaccinated these days, which lowered the cases of COVID-19 in many countries. But more and more people in the United Kingdom have reported experiencing miserable colds these days as the common cold prefers colder months.
Scientists warned that they might unknowingly have contracted COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated. They remind the public not to confuse common cold symptoms with those of COVID-19 as they might potentially allow the virus to spread.
Vaccinated People Suffering from Worst Cold Ever Across the UK Might Have Coronavirus, Scientists Warn
"Worst Cold Ever" in the UK
According to Mirror, a sickness bug that people call the "worst cold ever" is starting to spread across the United Kingdom, wherein a growing number of people are complaining of feeling unwell and struggling.
Last week, some people have shared about feeling drained and run down by a common cold that lasted for a couple of weeks. While the Liverpool Echo reports some cases in Merseyside are experiencing a similar fate. The public is concerned that the illness might be spreading as more and more people are reporting the bug and sharing their experiences online.
Many shared that they have been ill or know someone who is under the weather and has been totally floored for several weeks. London-based GP Dr. Philippa Kaye said numbers of reporting extreme common cold experiences this year have climbed up compared to normal winter, particularly those who reported having coughs, colds, and viral infections.
ALSO READ: Common Cold or Coronavirus? Experts Say Official List of COVID-19 Symptoms Should Be Expanded
Fully Vaccinated People Suffering From "Worst Cold Ever" Might Have Coronavirus
In a follow-up report by Mirror, Brits miserably suffering from the "worst cold ever" might be enduring breakthrough cases of COVID-19 without them realizing, which could allow coronavirus to spread.
The report says that research from ZOE COVID App in the UK shows that the top symptoms fully vaccinated people are experiencing but still contracted the virus are headache, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, and anosmia or loss of sense of smell.
The app's lead scientist Professor Tim Spector warned that confusing COVID-19 symptoms for the common cold could help the virus spread. He added that not knowing the symptoms of COVID-19 is one of the two major factors behind the rising cases of the deadly disease in the UK.
He told the Mirror that the public should look out for COVID symptoms, such as sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, anosmia, cough, and fever. Spector emphasized that roughly 1 in 80 people in the UK have COVID-19 and if the public is unable to discern symptoms of COVID-19, it puts unnecessary strain on the exhausted NHS.
Concerns in breakthrough cases are not without grounds as the jabs' effectiveness slowly wanes after a few months. A study, titled "Resurgence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a Highly Vaccinated Health System Workforce" published in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that the effectiveness of vaccines against any symptomatic disease dropped from 90% to 65% as the Delta variant reached the country.
Antibodies that have significantly fallen after two months after the second dose of Pfizer might cause the waning protection from the vaccines, which means millions of people in the UK will likely catch the bug and endure mild symptoms of the infection.
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