Health and beauty giant Superdrug has seen a surge in sales of Covid tests and flu remedies, with the retailer warning people to be aware of the symptoms of a summer cold
Retailer Superdrug is reporting that sales of coronavirus lateral flow tests have rocketed by a whopping 319 per cent – and cold and flu relief sachets have seen a 297 per cent increase – hinting at a possible new wave of infections this summer.
The health and beauty giant has also seen a surge in vitamin sales, with Vitamin D flying off the shelves at a rate of 116 per cent more than usual and Zinc at 58 per cent, as Brits gear up their immune systems to tackle the seasonal sniffles. Hospital Covid positivity rates have crept up from 3.72 to 4.35 per 100,000 in the past week, new stats reveal.
Talking to Sky News, Mark Woolhouse, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, warned: “The waves continue to be driven by a combination of new variants and a partial waning immunity to infection.” Distinguishing between Covid and common cold symptoms, which can both include a sore throat, blocked nose, headache, and cough, is still a conundrum.
Specific symptoms that set Covid apart from the common cold include:
- Fever: A high fever is more commonly associated with Covid. Summer colds might cause a mild fever, but it’s typically lower than those in Covid cases.
- Loss of taste or smell: Anosmia (loss of taste or smell) is a commonly known symptom of Covid, rarely seen with Summer colds.
- Fatigue and body aches: Covid often causes extreme fatigue and body aches. While Summer colds can cause tiredness, the level of fatigue is usually less severe.
- Shortness of breath: Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath is more specific to Covid, particularly in more severe cases.
- Duration of symptoms: Covid symptoms may last longer and change over time. A Summer cold typically resolves within a week to ten days.
Niamh McMillan, Superdrug’s pharmacy superintendent, said: “With Covid causing a range of respiratory symptoms, individuals should be aware of the distinct characteristics that may differentiate a Summer cold from one associated with this virus. If you have a persistent cough, shortness of breath, and loss of taste or smell, it might be time to investigate further and potentially take a Covid test.”