Common symptoms of Omicron infection are runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and sore throat, as with a cold.
Since Omicron appeared in South Africa, scientists have recorded a wide range of symptoms, ranging from loss of taste and smell to skin rashes. They found that not all patients infected with Omicron had the same cough and fever as in the early stages of the pandemic. Many people report symptoms similar to the common cold, and some experience stranger conditions such as lower back pain.
What is the most common Omicron symptom?
Reports on Omicron expression vary. But in general, this variant behaves like other coronaviruses, such as the one that causes the common cold, said Dr. Stephanie Sterling, an infectious diseases specialist at NYU Langone Health in the United States.
According to Tim Spector, a genetic epidemiologist and founder of the medical company ZOE, the five most common symptoms of Omicron infection are runny noses, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and sore throat.
Some studies come to other conclusions. Discovery, South Africa’s largest insurance company, says a stuffy nose, burning or itchy throat, dry cough, and lower back pain are symptoms of Omicron. A small study conducted in Norway showed that cough is the most common symptom of malignant neoplasms, followed by a runny nose and fatigue. Like the ZOE experts, Norwegian scientists also found that the number of people who lost their sense of smell and taste decreased significantly.
The symptoms of each F0 vary depending on the condition. Some people still have classic fever and cough problems. Dr. Sterling said, “If you live in an area where Omicron is common and you have a second respiratory illness, you probably have Omicron.” In fact, there are many cases of repeated nCoV infection within a short period of 1-3 months in the place where this mutation broke out.
Do people infected with Omicron have mild symptoms?
Data from hotspots such as South Africa, the UK, and New York, USA, show that the strain causes milder symptoms than previous versions of the virus. A UK report from the end of December 2021 shows that people infected with Omicron have a rate of hospitalization in the emergency department or hospitalization is half that of Delta.
But theoretically, “mild” symptoms can still cause discomfort at F0, leaving lasting effects of Covid-19. It is also not entirely clear to scientists whether Omicron itself is less virulent than older strains, or whether natural immunity and human vaccines reduce the incidence of severe diseases. According to Dr. Sterling, people should still adhere to preventive measures, especially those who have not been vaccinated or have concomitant diseases.
Why are the symptoms of Omicron different from those of other strains?
Preliminary data indicate that Omicrons mainly accumulate in the upper respiratory tract, which differs from the mechanism of penetration into the lungs. This explains why the number of deaths from mutated infection has decreased, and many people have symptoms from the upper respiratory tract, such as nasal congestion and sore throat.
With the help of PCR tests or rapid tests, people learn only negative or positive results, without knowing which variant they are infected with. The symptoms point to an option, but two people exposed to the same virus at the same time still experience different feelings.
Vaccines are by far the most effective public health measure to protect people from Covid-19, reducing the likelihood of symptoms of severe illness when infected with a new strain. Scientists continue to learn about the effect of vaccines on Omicron. However, there have been many cases of nCoV infection breakthrough after vaccination.
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