People infected with the new UK coronavirus variant are less likely to report a loss of taste and smell, figures suggest. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the symptoms were “significantly less common” in patients who tested positive for the new variant compared to those with other variants of Covid-19. They are more likely to report “classic” symptoms of the virus, such as a cough and a fever. The ONS also said other symptoms were more common in people testing positive for the new variant, with the largest differences for cough, sore throat, fatigue, myalgia and fever.