Cases of the latest version of the Omicron Covid variant are at last dropping across the North East.
But hundreds of people are sadly still in hospital with it and cases remain high across the region. Also doing the rounds are bad colds and flu as two years of Covid-19 lockdowns have left people's immune systems unprepared for the round of usually common winter ailments.
Many people who think they may have Covid-19 are in fact testing negative. And with updated Covid guidance now listing nine new symptoms to be aware of - including diarrhoea, a sore throat, and a blocked or runny nose - telling whether you've got a bad cold or something worse has got a whole lot harder.
