Nearly two-thirds of Scots have received both doses of Covid jab, and they may now be experiencing different coronavirus symptoms to the unvaccinated.
More than four million people across the world have been using an NHS and Scottish Government-backed app to track their health during the pandemic.
Created by health firm Zoe and King’s College London, it was launched in March 2020 to gather masses of data and support research into Covid-19.
And the team behind it has discovered people are facing different Covid symptoms depending on if they have been double-jabbed or not.
Differences in symptoms
According to the Covid Symptom Study app, the five most common symptoms for people who are yet to receive a dose of the vaccine are:
Unvaccinated
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Fever
- Persistent cough
A loss of smell is the ninth-most common, while shortness of breath ranked number 30 in the list.
But app users who have had both doses of the Covid vaccine have been reporting fewer symptoms over a shorter period of time – suggesting the jabs have prevented them from having a severe illness.
The prevalence of certain signs of coronavirus are different in double-vaccinated people:
Double-jabbed
- Headache
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Sore throat
- Loss of smell
The researchers found a persistent cough has fallen to eighth place, while sneezing is now the fourth-most common Covid symptom.
Why are the Covid symptoms changing?
The team behind the app says there are a number of reasons why there appears to be a change once people have received both doses of the vaccine.
The jabs do not make people immune to Covid, but do significantly lessen the effects of the disease – potentially explaining why some symptoms are not as common.
More younger people are now receiving vaccines, with research having shown they can sometimes experience different effects of Covid than older patients.
Additionally, virus mutations can trigger slightly different symptoms.
The Delta variant, which is widespread in the UK, is more likely to cause a fever, headache and sore throat than the “typical” Covid symptoms of coughing and a loss of smell.
Should I book a test if I’m sneezing more?
The researchers are encouraging everyone to download the Covid Symptom Study app and log their health on a daily basis.
They said: “Sneezing a lot could be a potential sign that someone vaccinated has Covid-19 and, however mild, should take a test and self-isolate to protect their friends, family and colleagues.
“As more people are vaccinated it’s important we keep up with regular lateral flow tests to detect the increasing number of asymptomatic infections.”
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