Amid rising Omicron cases, health officials have warned against dismissing the new variant as mild.
While most patients testing positive for the SARs-COV-2 virus are presenting cold-like symptoms, experts recommend taking precautionary steps and advise infected individuals to isolate themselves.
According to top experts, the Omicron variant is said to have a high infectivity rate. However, preliminary studies have shown that the new variant is considerably mild. Symptoms such as a mild fever, scratchy throat, extreme body pain, night sweats, vomiting and loss of appetite are said to indicate the presence of Omicron in the body.
Earlier, Dr Angelique Coetzee, Chairperson of the South African Medical Association, who was also the first one to have discovered the Omicron variant in South Africa, said that the patients being diagnosed with the Omicron have shown no signs of loss of smell and/or taste.
In addition, among the infected Omicron patients, there have been no cases of a stuffy, clogged nose, or a very high temperature, she said. This may be a great differentiator between the Omicron and the Delta.
Recent findings have also listed down two most reported Omicron symptoms in patients.
According to the latest reports by The Sun, the two major omicron symptoms are a runny nose and headache.
Irene Peterson, Professor of Epidemiology and Health Informatics at University College London, said that runny nose and headache can be symptoms of many other infections, but they can also be symptoms of COVID or Omicron.
As per the doctor, about 20 symptoms of Omicron have been reported, of which runny nose and headache are the most common. She advises patients suffering from these symptoms to not dismiss it as a regular cold, rather get tested immediately.
The study also highlighted five other prominent symptoms of Omicron such as runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing and sore throat.
Additionally, according to the UK’s ZOE COVID symptoms study app, night sweats, loss of appetite and vomiting are some unusual symptoms recorded in patients.
If you develop any or most of the Omicron symptoms mentioned above, do not dismiss it as cold or a flu. Rather, get yourself tested and stay isolated until the results are out. If you test positive for the virus, continue isolating yourself.
Monitor your symptoms, wear your masks at all times and do not share any of the utensils of clothes with others. Make sure you sanitize your hands and keep your surroundings clean too.
If you haven’t got vaccinated till now, book your appointment as soon as possible. Vaccination reduces the risk of severe Covid-19 symptoms and hospitalization.
It is a misconception that vaccination does not protect against the contagious virus and lead to other health issues. Do not believe them and get your shot.