An expert has warned the public to watch out for ‘Covid tongue’ as the number of people suffering with the new symptom rises.
Professor Tim Spector revealed the odd virus symptom in a social media post on Wednesday.
The King’s College London epidemiologist, who heads the Covid Symptom Study App study, said one in five people still have less common indicators.
And he also used the post on Twitter to urge the public to stay at home if they are feeling at all unwell – even if it’s just a case of fatigue.
Prof Spector said: “One in five people with Covid still present with less common symptoms that don’t get on the official PHE list – such as skin rashes.
“Seeing increasing numbers of Covid tongues and strange mouth ulcers. If you have a strange symptom or even just headache and fatigue stay at home!”
The professor also tweeted a gruesome picture of what ‘Covid tongue’ can look like.
Gabriel Scally, a public health physician and president of epidemiology and public health at Royal Society of Medicine, told The Sun that the virus can produce “effects in such a wide range of body systems”.
She added: “Symptoms in the mouth have been described for some time in association with Covid-19.”
Certain diseases that affect the immune system may attack the tongue, causing changes including pain, discolouration, swelling or a strange texture.
Other problems can stem from underlying conditions.
Tongue issues can also be the result of poor mouth hygiene, smoking or an unhealthy diet.
And mouth ulcers are very common and can be caused by a range of things, including hot food or drink, medicines, stress, hormonal changes or vitamin deficiencies.
People were quick to thank Prof Spector in the comments below his tweet.
One said: “Yes! Good to see the less publicised symptoms here. Not everyone presents with those that are still held as definite markers. Still so many unknowns. I feel we need to adopt a mindset of: When in doubt please check it out.”
Another added: “Very useful info. I wish there was much better communication and briefing about the full range of symptoms.”
The Covid Symptom Study app, developed by ZOE and used by KCL for research, is being used by millions of people across Britain to report is they have Covid symptoms and if they have been tested for the disease.
It helps the experts identify symptoms that are common in people who have a positive Covid test result, as well as track the size of the outbreak.
Aches and pains, sore throat, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, headache, loss of taste or smell, a rash on skin and discolouration of fingers or toes are all listed as less common symptoms of coronavirus by the World Health Organisation.