Opera’s reflux reflex

ONLY a third of British adults are able to name the three main symptoms of coronavirus, a survey suggests.

Anyone with a high temperature or fever, a new continuous cough, or loss or change to their sense of smell and taste is currently advised to get tested and self-isolate until a result comes through.

Eight out of ten people correctly identified two out of three of these key symptoms.

But just 31 per cent knew all three, according to the survey of more than 2,200 adults aged 16 to 75 by King’s College London. FANCY your chances as the next Pavarotti? You may want to spare a thought for your digestion first.

A study of 30 singing students found almost all of them had signs of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease – triggered by stomach acid travelling up towards the throat, causing heartburn – compared to less than a third of non-singers. A special saliva test was used in the study to diagnose reflux disease.

Exactly why opera singers are at a higher risk is not clear. But experts suspect that singing can put a strain on the digestive tract, weakening the muscle that stops stomach acid travelling upwards. The findings were published in the journal Medicine Pharmacy Reports.