Expert says most common Covid-19 symptoms have changed

Lately, the most common symptoms of Covid-19 infections have changed – while previously Covid-19 patients mainly complained about the loss of the sense of taste and smell, now the most common symptoms include headaches, exhaustion and blocked nose, as TV3 programme 900 seconds was told by the president of Latvian General Practitioners Association Sarmīte Veide.
General practitioners have also noticed that lately there has been a surge of Covid-19 infections among younger people who have either not vaccinated for Covid-19 or have not received a booster shot.
If they live with older people, the people who are vaccinated get sick as well. However, the infection is generally more severe for older people.
When asked to describe patients’ general interests for booster shots, Veide said the biggest interest for a third jab is found among people who received the first jab last spring.
As for patients who were vaccinated under compulsory order last autumn – to avoid losing their job – the time for a booster shot has not yet come. Veide said it is hard to predict if these people decide it is necessary for them to receive the third jab.
The head of the association affirmed that general practitioners are prepared to reach out and invite patients to receive a booster shot. However, the concerns are that as the infection level increases, there will be less and less time for that, because medical workers will have to focus more on treating existing patients and providing consultations.
Epidemiologist Ņikita Trojanskis also recommends residents to sign up for booster shots, because with Omicron, booster shots help reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death. Nevertheless, even people who have received booster shots can still be tested positive for Covid-19.
He stresses that booster shots improve the situation by reducing the risk of hospitalisation and reducing the risk of virus transmission.
As previously reported, in recent days there has been a surge of Covid-19 indexes in Latvia. The two-week cumulative infection index in Latvia has reached 686.2 per 100 000 residents, increasing by 8.7% in the last 24 hours.