Cephalgia is 'top' Covid symptom in double vaccinated

Covid and its dominant symptoms have been changing ever since the virus was first detected in Wuhan, China. Having undergone a number of mutations, each variant gave rise to a certain set of symptoms. While signs like a loss of taste and smell and cough were the key red flags at the beginning of the pandemic, newer variants like Omicron have brought different symptoms including cephalgia.

The Zoe Covid Study App, which keeps a track of dominant Covid symptoms through positive patients using the app, explains cephalgia is one of the “top” symptoms currently seen in fully vaccinated patients. The reason why jabbed patients might experience different signs comes down mostly to the severity of symptoms, according to Zoe.

Cephalgia, better known as headache, describes pain in your head or face that’s often described as throbbing, constant, sharp or dull pressure, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The data from Zoe reports that this warning sign affected around 69 percent of their users.

As headaches could also be triggered by viruses like cold and flu, Zoe explains how to identify this sign specifically when it comes to Covid. Cephalgia is considered one of the earliest signs of coronavirus and more common than the “classic” symptoms like cough, fever and loss of smell.T

he stubborn pain tends to come on at the very start of your illness, with the sign lasting for an average of three to five days. However, some people can suffer from Covid headaches for much longer, with the persistence of this symptom suggesting you might have long Covid. Zoe also shares other tell-tale signs of COVID-19 headache, including:

• Being moderately to severely painful

• Feeling ‘pulsing’, ‘pressing’ or ‘stabbing’

• Occurring across both sides of the head (bilateral) rather than in one area

• Lasting for more than three days

• Being resistant to regular painkillers. While headaches are considered a “very common” symptom of the virus, many people struggle with headaches on a day-to-day basis.

So experiencing the stubborn ache doesn’t guarantee you’ve caught coronavirus. Fortunately, cephalgia often comes hand in hand with other Covid symptoms.

Zoe states: “A headache is highly likely to occur alongside fatigue and loss of smell (anosmia). “It often comes together with symptoms like a sore throat, fever, unusual muscle pains, a persistent cough and dizziness.”

Apart from headaches, there are also four other prevalent Covid symptoms that seem to be targeting those with their immunisation.

Other coronavirus signs appearing in the double jabbed include: sore throat

runny nose, blocked nose and persistent cough.