Number of Britons falling ill with Covid every day falls by 5% in a week, symptom-tracking app shows as top expert says outbreak would shrink if officials accepted virus's effects have already become more cold-like Covid symptom study found 45,081 people caught the virus every day last week, it estimated today Professor Tim Spector warned the UK still had one of the highest infection rates in Europe He called for the Covid symptoms list to be updated because vaccines had made the virus like a bad cold By Luke Andrews Health Reporter For Mailonline Published: 12:10 BST, 23 September 2021 | Updated: 12:10 BST, 23 September 2021 Viewcomments Advertisement The number of Britons falling ill with Covid every day fell five per cent last week, according to one of the country's biggest surveillance projects. King's College London scientists estimated 45,081 people caught the virus every day in the week to September 18, down from 47,276 in the previous seven-day spell. Professor Tim Spector, who leads the study, warned that the UK still had one of the highest infection rates in Europe and called for the Covid symptoms list to be updated to help get a handle on infections. He said the classic three symptoms — cough, fever and loss of taste and smell — were rarer these days thanks to vaccines which had made the virus more like a bad cold. He said other warning signs like a sore throat, runny nose and sneezing should be added to the list. The symptom-tracking apps figures contradict those from the Government dashboard, which show Covid cases have risen week-on-week for the last five days in a delayed back-to-school wave. The symptom study — also run by health data science company ZOE — was initially ahead of Government data because it spotted cases based on symptoms, without the need for time-consuming tests. But experts say that it is now less reliable because the vaccines have blunted the symptoms sparked by a Covid infection, making it harder to spot. Almost nine in ten over-16s in Britain have got at least one dose of the jab. Professor Spector said: 'The UK still has more cases than most of Europe and I believe this is for two main reasons; the first is a lack of masks and social distancing and the second is because we’re ignorant of the symptoms. 'We should be looking out for things like sore throat, runny nose and sneezing. 'The classic three — cough, fever and anosmia [loss of taste and smell] — are rarer these days, yet the government has done nothing. 'By not updating advice, we’re letting people into care homes, schools, workplaces and large gatherings displaying known signs of Covid. 'One in 95 people in the UK have Covid. If we don’t wake up to the fact these cold-like symptoms could be Covid, we will continue to keep numbers high, putting unnecessary strain on an exhausted NHS and letting more than 170 people die every day.' He added: 'Another week of declining cases is positive news, but the decline is slow and unpredictable. As predicted, the return to school has led to climbing cases in the young. 'While it’s true that Covid in children is mostly mild, the real issue is their ability to pass on the virus to those who are most vulnerable. ZOE Covid Study data shows protection waning in those who were first in line for a vaccine, and so their risk of getting infected is rising.' The study also estimated infections had risen slightly among 30 to 39-year-olds, but that the age group where cases were increasing most were 0 to 19-year-olds — in another sign of a back to school wave. They said their figures were based on reports from more than 750,000 Britons who have logged into the app to say they felt well or entered their results from swabs. The drop in Covid cases contradicts figures from the Government dashboard which show cases have risen for the past five days week-on-week, in a sign of a possible back-to-school wave. Department of Health statistics showed another 34,460 infections were spotted yesterday, up 15 per cent from the 30,597 recorded last Wednesday. Scientists had warned that the reopening of classrooms at the start of September in England, Wales and Northern Ireland would cause a sharp rise in infections. Meanwhile, latest Covid hospitalisation figures showed there were 747 admissions on September 18, down 17 per cent on the same time last week. And another 166 Covid deaths were recorded yesterday, mirroring the drop seen in hospital admissions. Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility