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They take a sample from a child in France. PHOTO: Reuters
Children with only the common cold are definitely not infected with the coronavirus, warned a leading expert amid calls for the British to stop testing unnecessarily. Professor Tim Spector of King’s College London assures parents that a runny nose, along with sneezing, is a “sure sign” that the child has a cold, not COVID-19.
Amid concerns that children are infected with the coronavirus en masse two weeks after schools reopened, Professor Spector recalls that a runny nose is not related to COVID-19.
There is a difference in the symptoms that occur in different age groups, says the expert. Standard fever, prolonged cough, and loss of taste and smell may not occur in those younger than 18 and older than 65 years. “We do not see any loss of taste or smell in the elderly and children,” he told the BBC.
The professor is behind research showing that the most common symptoms of COVID-19 in school-age children are fatigue (55%), headache (55%), and fever (49%). By comparison, the most common symptoms in adults are fatigue (87%), headache (72%), and loss of smell (60%). Neither children nor adults often report a runny nose. The data was collected via the Coronavirus Symptom Cold mobile app, used by more than 4 million users in the UK.
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