'I was at the pharmacy every day with new symptoms. It didn't dawn it was Covid'

What it's really like to have Covid right now as the XEC variant symptoms spread

Coronavirus is spreading across the country once more – and many people are sharing their symptoms as they grapple with whether to test or not, questioning ‘is it just a cold, or is it Covid?’

The NHS is warning of a ‘tripledemic’ of RSV, Covid and flu which are already spreading. The rise in the trio of illnesses comes as children go back to school and the weather gets colder – with the NHS already having faced months of crisis as demand has skyrocketed following the height of the pandemic.

The winter illness season typically peaks in December and January, but plenty of people are sharing their stories of getting coughs and colds. Many are wondering exactly what they have come down with as the list of symptoms seems to grow longer and longer.

READ MORE: What it's really like to have Covid right now as 'distinctive' XEC variant symptoms spread

The new XEC strain of Covid, which originated in Europe, has now spread to Britain and globally. Research indicates that it is more easily transmitted than previous variants.

Scientists have identified it as a recombinant variant, implying it was formed from two pre-existing strains that an individual may have contracted simultaneously. First identified in Germany last month, XEC is a genetic derivative of Omicron, a highly transmissible Covid-19 variant that became dominant after first appearing in South Africa in 2021.

XEC shares many of the same characteristics as other omicron subvariants, such as spreading easily and causing less severe disease than the earliest SARS-CoV-2 strains. This means that the symptoms may be different from previous years.

Richard Orton, a Bioinformatics Research Associate at the University of Glasgow, told The Conversation media outlet about the concerning trajectory of XEC: "XEC appears to have a growth advantage and is spreading faster than other circulating variants, suggesting it will become the dominant variant globally in the next few months."

'I coughed until I choked for days'

Testing among many people has significantly decreased following the end of extensive testing initiatives and because of the personal cost that now comes with purchasing lateral flow kits. The lack of a comprehensive, obligatory reporting system for test results also makes it challenging for public health officials to accurately determine the precise number of cases and the rate at which new strains are spreading.

The Manchester Evening News has been speaking to people who have been faced with the dilemma of when to test, believing they might just be suffering a bad seasonal cold, and being surprised by the result.

“My cough started to really ramp up Friday 13th, but I'd just checked into my hotel room the night before so thought the air con was drying my chest out," said one woman who started coming down with symptoms while on holiday in Spain this month.

“The Saturday night was particularly bad, I was having coughing fits all night long, I defo woke up the neighbours in my hotel. In fact at 3am I heard a couple of them next door just chatting in bed like it was tea time, I think they had given up trying to sleep through my coughing as it was that consistent.

“A few nights later, the room the opposite side of me had the same coughing fit. Whether I somehow gave it to them or it was just rife, I don’t know.

“I just coughed until I choked for a few days, then headaches kicked in, really dull thumping headaches and tiredness. One afternoon in Spain I slept for three hours – I never do that!

“Then on the Wednesday the coughing was at its peak during the daytime. And then I started with the heavy head, like brain fog but felt like my head weighed a tonne, and my sinuses were blocked shut.

“By that point, I was at the pharmacy every day with different symptoms. It still didn't dawn on me at this point it was Covid."

The Swinton resident said she didn't even consider the illness could have been Covid until she was on the way back home. After landing back home, she was at her 'peak paranoid' and decided to test, discovering to her horror that she was positive.

“Wednesday night I was really bad, sneezing, coughing, spluttering. I had a weird, sore, itchy face around my nose and mouth – probably because I was always covering it with a tissue – and I had a really bad headache," she continued.

“My sleep pattern was up the wall as well. Waking all the time, going to bed knackered and not being able to sleep and lying in bed wired and coughing!

“I took a test at 4am after getting home from travelling and it was positive. I'd probably been positive for days but it didn't occur to me until that night it could be Covid.

"I have a box of tests I got myself after the pandemic had died down. If I have it, I'd just rather know so I can avoid people whether you have to by law or not. I don't want to pass it on if I can help it!

"It's easy for me to work from home so if I do have it I can easily tailor my life to self isolate."

"It began as a sore throat, then heavy cold symptoms: sneezing and a runny nose," said one mum from Prestwich. "I also had a head ache. After two days I was really hit by fatigue and feeling light-headed. I've lost my voice completely in what feels like laryngitis and after four days can't shake the headache. I basically feel rubbish!

"At first I thought it was just cold so I didn't bother testing. But the symptoms were persistent and not improving so I thought I should. I was worried about infecting others too. I always keep some tests in the house as it is better to know so I can moderate behaviour so I don't spread it"

What are the symptoms?

Omicron variants present symptoms similar to those of a typical cold and flu. These include:

• Shortness of breath
• High fever
• Persistent cough
• Loss of taste or smell
• Feelings of fatigue or exhaustion
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Runny or blocked nose
• Loss of appetite
• Diarrhoea

While most people will fully recover within three weeks, Covid infections can lead to serious illness and hospitalisation in medically vulnerable people. Others may find their recovery takes a little longer, and it's not unusual to feel worse again after you first start to feel a bit better.

The ‘tripledemic’

This year's vaccination campaigns aim to prevent a 'tripledemic' of RSV, Covid and flu colliding while frontline staff are already facing a continuing NHS crisis, the health service has said. Demand is only expected to grow over the winter months as projections indicate that hospitalisations with Covid in the UK are set to rise as colder weather sets in.

For the first time, the NHS is offering vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common cause of coughs and colds which can be dangerous to older people and young children. The jab, introduced earlier this month, is available to those aged 75 to 79, and is being offered to pregnant women from 28 weeks, to protect their child.

For eligible adults, the NHS will offer both flu and Covid-19 vaccines simultaneously, providing an opportunity to gain protection from both viruses in a single visit. However, it is recommended that the RSV vaccination be taken on a different day from any flu or Covid-19 vaccinations.

How to get a vaccination and who is recommended

Eligible people can book their vaccinations now via the NHS website, by downloading the NHS App, or by calling 119 for free if they can't get online. The vaccinations, which will be available from 3 October, are crucial to prevent serious illnesses and hospital admissions during the busy winter months, says the NHS.

Dr Linda Charles-Ozuzu, Regional Director of Commissioning for NHS England North West, has urged the public to get vaccinated against Covid-19 and flu. She said: "The vaccines continue to provide the best protection against serious illness and hospitalisation from Covid-19 and flu during the winter months. It takes just a few minutes to book online or via the NHS App or 119, so please make sure you come forward to get vaccinated and encourage loved ones who are eligible to do the same."

This year, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended that adults aged 65 and over, residents in older adult care homes and those with underlying health conditions aged 6 months to 64 years will be eligible for both flu and Covid-19 vaccinations, based on the latest scientific evidence.

As in previous years, the government has also decided that frontline health and social care staff will be offered the Covid-19 and flu vaccines, with staff in older adult care homes being offered the Covid-19 jab.

From this week, those eligible will start receiving invitations from the NHS for their vaccinations. GP practices and other local NHS services will also be reaching out to offer both vaccines. Flu vaccinations for children commenced in September for the new academic year, as part of efforts to curb the spread of the virus. Pregnant women have been able to receive their jab since 1 September.

The nasal flu vaccine is deemed the most effective for children aged between 2 and 17 years. If this is not suitable, the GP or practice nurse may be able to provide a flu vaccine injection as an alternative.