Doctor issues guidance to patients with new Covid symptoms that are 'wiping people out'

A new Covid variant is expected to become the most dominant strain in the UK - and a GP has shared the symptoms she is seeing in her practice

A new Covid variant is soon predicted to outpace existing strains in prevalence. Greater Manchester GP Dr Helen Wall has been upfront about the challenges faced in healthcare and has detailed what's really unfolding in her clinic.

Dr Wall has underscored certain Covid symptoms that are 'seemingly really wiping people out', distinguishing them from the milder impacts associated with past variants. Amid the context of autumnal chills and schools resuming, these signs can be confused with other common seasonal illnesses, which brings added complexity for medical professionals including this Bolton-based GP.

Despite the debilitations these conditions cause, Dr Wall suggests one key measure could be the difference in avoiding a prolonged downtime or a potential hospital visit. According to a report from the Manchester Evening News, Dr Wall, who is the clinical director of population health in Greater Manchester, noted an uptick in sickness linked to the emergence of the new XEC coronavirus variant.

She said: "We do see generally a rise in respiratory infections this time of year. There is another Covid variant on the scene which is expected to become the most dominant, and is becoming more prevalent like all the variants before it."

Adding a note of uncertainty, she continued: "We don't completely know if it makes it more or less transmissible, I suspect more because they always are. But we don't know what the situation is."

Researchers have identified XEC as a recombinant variant, which is a result of two existing strains merging. This XEC variant is a blend of the KP.3.3 and KS. 1.1 strains and shares genetic characteristics with Omicron, first detected in 2021 and noted for its higher contagion but lower severity in comparison to previous variants.

According to some researchers, XEC seems to be transmitting more swiftly than other prevalent variants, raising the possibility of it becoming the primary strain globally within months. Commenting on current coronavirus cases, Dr Wall observed they now seem more akin to flu symptoms as opposed to earlier versions of the virus.

Recently, Covid has been causing profound fatigue in patients, leaving them 'wiped out', explains Dr Wall: "We could well be seeing the new Covid variant in practice. At the moment, it seems to be a bit more flu-like than previous iterations of Covid, with a high temperature, a cough, aching body, headache."

Dr Wall elaborated on the change in typical symptoms saying, "Some of the symptoms in the past were more cough and cold symptoms, but at the moment, Covid does seem to be wiping people out. We're seeing an increase in respiratory infections, you see that every time the weather changes, and there's always a rise when the children go back to school."

"But whether that's Covid is really difficult to say because a lot of the symptoms blur together with other illnesses that are prevalent at this time of year. Whether it's Covid versus flu is hard to separate."

"People who have the flu tend to be extremely unwell. Sometimes, people say they've got the flu but have actually got a bad cold. Generally, if you've got true flu, you're bed bound. With Covid, you might actually be quite well. You might be coughing and having other symptoms, but able to go about your business and you might be unintentionally spreading it to people who are vulnerable."

Covid testing has significantly decreased after the halting of widespread testing initiatives, along with the costs associated with purchasing lateral flow kits. Moreover, without a comprehensive, compulsory reporting system in place, public health leaders often struggle to ascertain the accurate number of cases and the speed at which new variants are transmitting.

Dr Wall expressed concern that the available data for public health experts is 'skewed', given that much of what they receive is from hospitalised individuals who are either seriously ill with Covid, or who have contracted Covid while in hospital for another condition.

Given the lack of robust data, Dr Wall emphasises the critical importance of vaccination in the face of what the NHS has termed the 'tripledemic' of winter ailments. This season, the NHS is offering not only Covid and flu vaccinations, but also the newly added respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine.

Dr Wall acknowledges the wariness people may feel towards vaccination, particularly if they experience temporary discomfort. She advised: "Three vaccines is a lot, and some people might think it's just another thing to worry about, or get the new RSV jab but then not get the Covid and flu jabs too."

She further expressed concern over practical barriers, stating: "The difficulty is that people are working, there's a cost-of-living crisis people don't want to be off work to get a vaccine or if they're feeling a little unwell because of any side effects. But I'd encourage people to keep in mind the bigger picture."

Highlighting the transitory nature of most vaccine side effects, Dr Wall noted: "Most vaccine side effects go within a few hours to 24 hours, around half of the people who get a vaccine won't get side effects at all. If you get any of these illnesses, you'll be off work for much longer."

Stressing the importance of vaccinations for those at risk, she asserted: "If you've been deemed eligible for these vaccines, it's because we think you're going to be very ill if you get these and end up in hospital. It's about keeping that in perspective, you don't want to look back and wish you'd had the jabs."

For individuals currently unwell, Dr Wall reiterated common guidance: "It's not like it was during the peak of Covid, but a lot of the general advice remains the same. If you have a high fever, try not to mix with people. If people have elderly relatives or know people who are immunocompromised, I wouldn't be mixing with them if I've got a temperature, or cold or flu-like symptoms."