The symptoms of omicron that you should know

The symptoms of this new strain of SARS-CoV-2 appear to be easily confused with a winter cold. Here's how to spot them. "50% of those infected do not present the classic symptoms of Covid-19".

Group chats were only intended to be dominated by friends catching up on the results of their latest PCR test, thanks to Covid-19. But then: Omicron.

The newly discovered variant of Covid-19 is fueling a new surge in Covid-19 cases across the UK. In fact, the country has recorded the highest number of daily cases since the start of the pandemic, with 78,610 new cases confirmed yesterday (December 15).

Men's Health wants to bring you the latest, expert, evidence-based information on this latest development in the healthcare saga that is shaping our time.

As more information about the coronavirus pandemic develops, some of the information in this article may have changed since it was last updated. For the most up-to-date information on Covid-19, visit the online resources provided by the UK Government, the NHS and the WHO.

With less than a full month since World Health Organization (WHO) officials declared the variant of concern, scientists still have a lot to learn about Omicron.

Early reports, albeit limited, indicate that infections of the Omicron variant may differ only slightly from cases that experts have seen stemming from the spread of Delta and other earlier variants that were of concern in 2021.

Early tests on Omicron have indicated that it may not cause symptoms as severe as those experienced with Delta infections.

In South Africa, where the first cases of Omicron infections were recorded, the country's Medical Research Council shared testimony that most patients affected by Omicron infections did not require ventilators or emergency oxygen to breathe while undergoing treatment. .

How do they manifest now? MH spoke to Professor Tim Spector, a genetic epidemiologist at King's College London who, as the founder of symptom screening app Zoe Covid, has a front row seat to seeing exactly how the Omicron variant is affecting patients in the world. United Kingdom.

Here, Professor Spector - and three other infectious disease experts - explain everything they've learned so far about Omicron's symptoms and infections. Also, what you should know if you think you are experiencing an Omicron-related infection.

What are the symptoms of Omicron's new COVID-19 variant?

'Cold-like symptoms are the most common,' explains Professor Spector. And he details that:

• "Headache
• throat pain
• fatigue
• runny nose
• and sneezes are the main ones".

"This is followed by [more classic signs of Covid-19 infection]:

• fevers
• cough
• and loss of smell, more or less in that order.

"More than 50% of people do not have classic symptoms at the moment," he adds.

Unfortunately, the consensus seems to be that any cold or flu-like symptom — including the really generic ones, like nasal congestion and headache — may, in fact, be the Omicron variant," Dr. Jennifer tells WH Rohn, a cell biologist at University College London, adding that the same could be said for the symptoms caused by the Delta variant.

The research currently being presented is limited and comes from anecdotes from health care providers on the ground in South Africa, explains Dr. Nicholas Kman, an emergency physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Reports from providers describe South African patients suffering from great fatigue, but no loss of taste or smell," he explains. It appears that [Omicron's] symptoms may be milder, such as itchy throat, fatigue or headache compared to more serious ones, such as fever and respiratory failure.

But these symptoms also depend on vaccination status, age, comorbid conditions, and history of natural infections.

Symptoms in unvaccinated people may be more severe compared to someone who was fully vaccinated earlier in the year, or someone who recently received a booster shot.

Research and data provided over the Christmas period may provide a clearer picture of the COVID-19 symptoms that are actually experienced more frequently during an Omicron infection.

Dr. Gwen Murphy, an expert in epidemiology, points out that the first studies of Omicron infections in South Africa were carried out in university students, or in younger individuals who may be predisposed to "milder disease", she adds.

Does the Omicron variant of COVID-19 spread faster?

Early indications suggest that this SARS-CoV-2 variant is indeed spreading at a faster rate than previous variants.

Estimates based on the South African experience allow scientists to postulate that the Omicron variant is at least three times more infectious than the original versions of SARS-CoV-2," adds Dr. Kman. "It is possible that it is more contagious than the Delta variant.

Why exactly? It has mutated to be smarter than its rival variants," explains Professor Spector. Omicron adheres better to the mucus layer, breaks down immune defenses better and outperforms the vaccine better [than previous Covid-19 variants]."

Dr. Rohn explains: If we think of coronaviruses as decorated on the outside with special "keys" sticking out of them, the most transmissible variants tend to have mutations, or changes, in the shape of their keys that allow them to latch onto our 'locks' more successfully and access our cells'.

But the fact that Omicron spreads at a faster rate than previous illnesses does not mean that those affected by this specific strain of the virus will automatically have worse symptoms of COVID-19.

As mentioned above, early evidence from South Africa has led members of the scientific and medical community to suggest that Omicron's symptoms may not be as extreme as those caused by Delta.

On this, Professor Spector is cautiously hopeful: "It is possible, but we are not absolutely sure. It seems to be subtly different from Delta [in the way it affects the infected] but not dramatically different."

And he continues: 'It's too early to talk about hospitalization rates because they always take a couple of weeks. So far, we haven't seen many serious cases. That's not to say they won't happen, but so far it's relatively reassuring."

How to protect yourself from the Omicron variant of Covid-19

Our experts' answer to this question is threefold. First of all: follow the government advice to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

And it is that the best way to protect against Covid-19 (including infection induced by the Omicron variant) and severe symptoms or death is still to receive a complete vaccination.

Those who have been vaccinated earlier, in 2021, can now get a booster dose, which is proving to be a crucial defense, according to early research.

Additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine reportedly provide enough antibodies to block even the Omicron variants, according to a Washington Post report on data released by Pfizer and BioNTech released this week.

And the second? Pay close attention to symptoms you might have previously ruled out, advises Dr. Rohn. "Don't just wait for that fever, nagging cough, or loss of taste or smell to get tested."