Two new ‘unusual’ Omicron symptoms emerge amid fears Brits are missing signs
OMICRON is triggering ‘unusual’ symptoms in patients amid fears that Brits could be missing the signs of the variant.
For over a year now we’ve been told that the three main signs of Covid are a new persistent cough, a high temperature and a loss of taste or smell.
These guidelines have not been updated by the NHS for variants such as Alpha, Delta and now Omicron.
But data coming out of South Africa, where Omicron is now the dominant strain, suggests that there are two specific symptoms that people who have the variant are complaining of.
Experts say that lower back pain and a scratchy throat have been seen in patients with Omicron.
It’s important that if you think you have Covid then you get a test and isolate in order to stop the spread of the virus.
These two new symptoms could mean that many people are missing infections as a scratchy throat could be part of a cold, and many people could mistake back pain for common aches and niggles.
Data published on 78,000 cases of Omicron in South Africa found that the illness is ‘milder’.
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It was also found that Omicron is causing 23 per cent less hospitalisations than Delta, which is still dominant in the UK, but is soon set to be taken over by Omicron.
Chief executive of Discovery Health, South Africa’s largest private health insurer, Ryan Roach, said that experts had noticed different symptoms when conducted the study.
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During a briefing yesterday, he explained that the most common symptom Omicron patients are facing is a scratchy throat, The Telegraph reported.
This is usually followed by nasal congestion, he said, with other common symptoms including a dry cough and pain in the lower back,
Both lower back pain and a scratchy throat haven’t been reported as symptoms with other variants.
Dr Roach did however add that while most cases have been mild, it does not mean the virus is not more transmissible.
It was yesterday reported that another usual symptom is night sweats.
A GP in South Africa told the Department of Health it’s starting to become a telltale sign in the country.
SYMPTOM CHECKER
Many patients who test positive for Omicron say they experienced night sweats.
Doctors have also said patients don’t seem to be suffering with sore throats, as Delta sometimes presents with, but scratchy throats.
South African medics – who have seen the majority of cases so far – said new cases of the Omicron variant are resulting in mostly mild symptoms, with patients having flu-like illnesses.
Dr Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association, was one of the first people to suspect the Omicron Covid strain.
She noted patients at her clinic had symptoms different to the original strain, and the Delta variant – which has been the most dominant in the world in recent months.
Dr Coetzee said she told health officials she was seeing a “clinical picture that doesn’t fit Delta” in November, when patients began to show symptoms “very much related to normal viral infection”
She said as the variant began to infect more people, the most common signs were fatigue, mild muscle aches, a dry cough and a scratchy throat.
JABS AWAY
Medics in the UK have said that the best way to protect yourself from Omicron is to get your booster vaccine.
The Sun’s Jabs Army are urging volunteers to come forward to help Give Britain a Booster.
Just last week a study revealed that a booster jab could keep us out of lockdowns.
Any two doses plus a Pfizer booster give up to 75 per cent protection, experts say.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “This data shows how important boosters are.”
Three shots also defend better against severe disease or death — but two doses will soon fail to prevent even a third of cases.
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