The study was published online last month in PLOS Medicine.
Where testing capacity is limited, it is important to use tests in the most efficient way possible.
Each round surveyed different sets of people.
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Participants in the study were contacted through the National Health Service of the United Kingdom.
As many as 160,000 useable responses and good quality swabs were obtained in each round of surveys.
This analysis identified the combination of seven symptoms that was most predictive of the virus.
Its not earth-shattering research.
I think it largely confirms what we expected to see, Dowdy says.
I think it adds to our understanding of what symptoms are most predictive of people having COVID.
And I think that’s an important addition to our knowledge.
Such information can be used to allocate COVID-19 testing and other resources when they are in short supply.
For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.
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