You’ve undoubtedly had a sore throat before—either a scratchy nuisance or something that makes you flinch each time you swallow. But is having a sore throat a symptom of a coronavirus infection?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it can be. The CDC recently added six new signs to their official list of COVID-19 symptoms. Now, in addition to dry cough, shortness of breath, and fever, the list also includes chills, repeated shaking with chills, headache, new loss of smell or taste, muscle pain, and sore throat.
How common is sore throat with COVID-19?
While the CDC doesn’t provide that information, research says a sore throat isn’t very common in COVID-19 patients. “Currently, we estimate that sore throat occurs in about 10% of coronavirus cases,” Michael Lerner, MD, a Yale Medicine laryngologist explains to Health.
One February WHO report, analyzing 55,924 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in China, estimated the number a bit higher at 13.9%. Even that percentage, however, is still much lower than the most common symptoms of coronavirus: Fever, which reportedly affects 87.9% of patients, and dry cough, which affects 67.7% of patients.
How can you know if your sore throat is due to COVID-19?
Sore throat is a very common and non-specific symptom (aka, a symptom that is self-reported and doesn’t indicate a specific disease) and will feel the same whether you have a cold, the flu, coronavirus, or even strep throat. That means if you experience one, it can be difficult to determine whether it is COVID-related based solely on the symptom alone. However, due to the low percentage of individuals with confirmed cases of the virus listing it as a symptom, it is more likely that it’s not COVID-related.
“Sore throat can be caused by viral or bacterial infections, can be due to other inflammatory conditions like allergies, post-nasal drip, and even acid reflux, or can be due to something as simple as dryness or dehydration,” Dr Lerner points out. Overall, inflammation is the cause of throat soreness, due to local damage of the lining of the throat, says Dr Lerner.
Stress can also be a contributing factor. “Stress is known to aggravate all sorts of pain and this is also true with a sore throat,” says Dr Lerner. Additionally, stress can lead people to habitually and aggressively clear their throats which traumatizes the area further. But, according to Dr Lerner, you don’t have to be worried about your face mask giving you a sore throat unless you’re allergic to the mask or if it’s developed mould somehow.
Still, even if your sore throat is accompanied by other symptoms—fever, headache, dry cough—the only way to truly know if your sore throat is due to COVID-19 is to get tested for the virus.
How do you treat a sore throat from COVID-19?
In terms of treatment of a sore throat due to COVID-19 or any other viral infection, Dr Lerner maintains that it will improve on its own as the virus runs its course. However, “supportive measures”—drinking plenty of water, using throat lozenges, enlisting humidifiers—can help.
Patients can also use over the counter numbing sprays like Cepacol, or pain relievers like Tylenol and Motrin to help treat the pain. If you think your sore throat is stress-related, he suggests “staying calm, hydrating, and just taking a throat lozenge” during those much-needed moments.