The symptoms of the omicron variant have been reported to Zoe, and the indications are that unlike in the first wave, the indicative signs of infections are more similar to the common cold. 

Prof Spector said: “The majority of symptoms are just like a common cold, so we’re talking about headaches, sore throat, runny nose, fatigue, and things like sneezing.

“So, things like fever and cough and loss of smell are now actually in the minority of the symptoms that we’re seeing.”

When the omicron mutation was first recorded in the UK, there were warnings that one in four common colds could be Covid. 

Now, in places like London where the new strain is dominant, “it’s far more likely to be Covid than a cold”, Prof Spector warned. 

He said: “Currently, across the country. It’s about one in four [common colds being Covid]. 

“Both conditions are actually quite common at the moment, but it’s about one in four but obviously, as you said, in London, where Covid is increasing rapidly, it’s far more likely to be Covid than it is to be cold.”