Omicron symptoms: Doctor shares ‘first signs’ of the variant – have you been infected?
SINCE late last year, Omicron has been the dominant variant of COVID-19. As it has spread across the globe, the scientific community has learnt more about it, from its transmissibility to the severity of the illness it causes. That same community has also been learning about the symptoms of Omicron and which appear first.
Omicron: GP explains ‘overwhelming’ science behind vaccines
Dr Pena went onto add that, after being infected with Omicron, people normally begin to experience symptoms within “one to two days…faster than with Delta or Alpha”.
However, whilst Omicron is much more transmissible than the Delta or Alpha variants and can evade the protection of vaccines to a degree, there are some small positives to Omicron.
Firstly, whilst it can evade the protection of vaccines, this can be rectified if an individual has a third booster shot.
This is why the UK Government expanded its booster programme in late-2021.
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Furthermore, the illness Omicron causes is less severe than Alpha or Delta, meaning less people are ending up seriously ill in hospital.
However, it is because of this increased transmissibility Omicron is still a problem and why the NHS remains under an extraordinarily high level of pressure despite the fact that cases are beginning to drop.
With regard the symptoms of Omicron there is a lengthy list of sources that will provide authority of what they are.
One of the most reliable is the ZOE COVID App.
Developed by scientists at King’s College London at the start of the pandemic, it allowed people who had and hadn’t tested positive with COVID-19 to input their symptoms into an app.
This app, that was and still is used by millions, used the data to establish what the symptoms of COVID-19 and if they were changing.
As a result, there is a list of seven main symptoms to look out for in COVID-19.
These symptoms are not dissimilar to those that one may find in the common cold.
The symptoms of Omicron currently include:
• A runny nose
• Headache
• Sneezing
• Sore throat
• Persistent cough
• Fever
• Loss of taste and smell
However, as more data is inputted into the app, this could change.
Omicron is another in a long line of mutations the virus has undergone since the pandemic began and it won’t the last variant of concern.
As Omicron cases begin to drop in the UK, there is a brief glimmer of hope that some of the stress could be eased from the NHS and that soon cases will drop to below pre-Omicron levels.
There is still a long way to go, however, and even though restrictions have been eased it is important for individuals self-isolate if someone they’ve been in recent contact with tests positive for COVID-19.
As it stands, deaths from COVID-19 continue to rise, the NHS remains under intense pressure as the United Kingdom hangs in the midst of political uncertainty.