London, Dec 26 (IANS): Amid rising Omicron cases, a team of UK researchers have warned that if you have a sore throat, runny nose and a headache, there is a good chance it will be Covid, a media report says.

According to the BBC, the Zoe Covid study team has been tracking the pandemic using feedback from the general public and estimates half of the people with cold-like symptoms have Covid.

They described an "explosion" of Covid cases over the last week, driven by the new Omicron variant, the report said.

About 144,000 people a day are catching it and then feeling unwell, it added.

For most, Covid is a mild disease, some get no symptoms at all. But it can still cause very serious illness in some people, including those who have not been vaccinated.

If you have cold-like symptoms, take a Covid test, says lead scientist Tim Spector.

"The number of new symptomatic cases has exploded over the last week," he said.

"For most people, an Omicron positive case will feel much more like common cold, starting with a sore throat, runny nose and a headache. You only need to ask a friend who has recently tested positive to find this out," he added.