New research has revealed that hearing loss, tinnitus or feeling dizzy could signal that you are infected with Covid-19.
This comes as cases in the UK once again rise, with new Covid cases estimated at 224,000 a day as of Tuesday. This is a 27 per cent increase from the 176,000 new daily cases last week according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data.
The link found between the three ear symptoms and Covid was uncovered by the Department of Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery at Harvard Medical School, in Boston, Massachusetts.
The study concluded: "Our findings suggest that inner ear infection may underlie COVID-19-associated problems with hearing and balance."
The researchers found that both hair cells and Schwann cells of the inner ear express the proteins required for Covid infection, which makes them potential targets, reports the Mirror.
Last week’s ONS estimate has the total infected at just over a million - one in 60 people - but this is now almost three weeks out of date.
Latest analysis suggests one in 25 Brits now has coronavirus and many more currently have the common cold. There are 2.6 million people estimated to have the infection in the UK, according to the ZOE Health Study which uses testing and symptom data from millions of participating app users.
Prof Tim Spector, of King’s College London and co-founder of the Covid ZOE app, told the Mirror: “We believe that the ZOE data shows we are in an autumn wave.
“Covid is currently affecting 4 per cent of the UK population and the trend is going up. If rates continue as they are, we are set to reach the same heights we did in the summer.
“Many of us are poorly right now as we are also seeing lots of colds. Three times as many people have colds compared to Covid.
“Confusingly, both seem to present with a sore throat in the early days, but if you are sneezing this could be a good sign and mean you have a cold, not Covid.
"If anyone wakes up with a sore throat, I’d recommend checking with a test just to be sure.”
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