Your ears could be the latest clue that you are infected with Covid-19 as a study shows many of those who have the virus are suffering from hearing loss, tinnitus or feeling dizzy.
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.
Most people know to look out for a sore throat and fever, but the other original symptom of loss of taste and smell is not much less common.
People are now warned that an infection in the middle ear is much more likely.
The study by the Department of Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery at Harvard Medical School, in Boston, Massachusetts concluded: "Our findings suggest that inner ear infection may underlie COVID-19-associated problems with hearing and balance."
During their work the researchers discovered that both hair cells and Schwann cells of the inner ear express the proteins required for Covid infection, which makes them potential targets.
The findings come after new Covid cases were estimated at 224,000 a day as of Tuesday.
This is up 27 per cent on the 176,000 new daily cases a week earlier.
Last week’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimate has the total infected at just over a million - one in 60 people - but this is now almost three weeks out of date.
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.”
New NHS data also shows almost 10,000 hospital patients have tested positive, which is at its highest for two months.
