DOUBTS were raised by some Hexham Courant readers over whether or not a Prudhoe man, featured in last week’s paper, actually had coronavirus.

Never mind that he was struggling to breathe and his GP said they were “99 per cent certain” he was suffering from the virus, some people still had difficulty believing that he had contracted the disease due to the fact that he did not have the usual symptoms – a dry cough and fever.

However, across the world a number of different symptoms have been reported for the virus, ranging from headaches to a loss of smell.

NHS England states that a high temperature, where you feel hot to touch on your chest or back, and a new, continuous cough – coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours – are the main symptoms of the coronavirus.

However, the World Health Organisation states that there are a range of symptoms reported for the virus.

Guidance on the WHO website read: “The Covid-19 virus affects different people in different ways. Covid-19 is a respiratory disease and most infected people will develop mild to moderate symptoms and recover without requiring special treatment.

“Common symptoms include fever, tiredness, and a dry cough. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, aches and pains, a sore throat.

“Very few people will report diarrhoea, nausea, or a runny nose. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually.

“Some people become infected but don’t develop symptoms and don’t feel unwell.”

The Centre of Disease Control in America also reports a range of symptoms, including chills, headaches, and a new loss of taste or smell.

In the UK, England’s deputy chief medical officer revealed on Thursday that she believed she had coronavirus.

Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britian, Jenny Harries described her illness, and claimed she did not have the usual symptoms.

She said: “I found it a very unpleasant experience.

“I wasn’t well at all. I didn’t necessarily have some of the clear respiratory symptoms.

“I’m usually very fit and healthy. I was really very knocked off probably for about a week and very grateful to my children for looking after me.

“I knew I was unwell, but in fact the offness was more to do with the fact that I hadn’t been eating and was generally quite frail. I didn’t have persistent symptoms beyond that point.”

The fact is, little is known about the virus at the moment – to the point where some people can have it and not show any symptoms.

With the general public not being tested unless they are unwell enough to go into hospital for the most part, people must rely and trust the expertise of their GPs.

An expert this week said identifying those who had coronavirus without symptoms was vital to work out how to lift restrictions.

Professor Jimmy Whitworth, professor of international public health at the London School of Hygiene, said the data would enable experts to know who had potentially developed an immunity to Covid-19.

“If you have a situation where just five per cent of the population have been infected, then that means 95 per cent is still vulnerable, and at risk of getting infected, and you have got to be pretty careful about lifting any restrictions.

“If it turns out 50 per cent of people have already been infected, then that’s much better in terms of being able to lift the restrictions