Researchers discover most common symptom of coronavirus and it's not a dry cough

A man coughing. (Courtesy)

The dry cough long associated with Covid-19 is not the most common symptom of the disease. As scientists and medics have studied the deadly condition throughout the year, their understanding of it has grown immensely. Warnings early in the year to watch out for a fever and a dry, tickly cough preceded reports of people losing their sense of smell and taste. Upset stomachs, fatigue and brain fog were also found to be commonly occurring symptoms.

The latest data compiled by researchers at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows which symptom is the most often reporters by sufferers of Covid-19. They reveal that the most commonly reported symptom among those who have tested positive for the bug is a loss of sense of smell or taste - called anosmia.