The Covid-19, even if the general attention on the coronavirus has waned, has not stopped circulating. Two new variants of the Omicron 5 variant are circulating on the Italian territory. They are called respectively Cerberus e Gryphon and represent almost 10% of daily positive cases.
The two new variants in circulation are considered sneaky compared to the original Omicron variant, because they are more easily confused with i flu symptoms or simple cold. Not only that, they seem to evade vaccines more easily. L’World Health Organization (WHO) declared the two variants from “monitor closely” due to mutations related to a potential evasion of the immune response. It is therefore difficult to find out if you have been infected with the new variants if they present with mild symptoms such as a cold or seasonal flu.
Inevitably, to understand if it is Covid-19 or seasonal flu, it is necessary to undergo a swab (do-it-yourself or pharmacy quick test), but above all don’t wait too long to do it. This is because the variants are characterized by a high transmission capacity and at the first cold-like symptoms the risk of infecting others is very high.
Covid or flu? How to recognize the symptoms of the new Cerberus and Gryphon variants
The dominant variant in Italy continues to be Omicron 5, but the sub-variants of this call are spreading more and more Cerberus e Gryphon. In the last month the variants have spread to over 70 countries, presenting themselves with a percentage between 7% and 10% of the cases detected. However, there are probably more people infected by Cerberus and Gryphon, but they are not identified due to the mild symptoms similar to seasonal flu or a simple cold. For this reason it is more difficult for them to be recognized as symptoms of Covid-19 infection and without a swab it is impossible to be sure.
Recognize i symptoms of Cerberus and Gryphon is not at all simple, but according to the experts it is correct to assume that with a fever between 37 and 38 degrees it is precisely one of the two subvariants of Omicron 5.
To find out if you have been infected by Cerberus and Gryphon, the symptoms to take into consideration according to the director of the Galeazzi institute in Milan Fabrizio Pergliasco I am:
- cold
- cough
- sore throat
Covid-19 and subvariants, not just a cold: what to do
The variants occur in the respiratory tract in all respects similar to a form of cold, but it’s not just a cold. The Covid-19 infection must always be diagnosed, because even today there are dozens of admissions to hospital and deaths a day.
For this reason, when the first flu-like or cold-like symptoms appear, in combination with sore throat and cough, it is necessary to take a swab and follow your doctor’s directions for the course of the infection. If the Covid-19 symptoms appear after having had close contact with positive people, then it is necessary to undergo a swab to ascertain the positivity or not. In case of positivity, the current rules impose 5 days of isolation and negative buffer to be able to exit.
The intention of the new government, however, would seem to be to eliminate one of the last restrictions, that is goodbye to isolation for people who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. In the coming weeks, in anticipation of Christmas and family reunions, the decree could arrive with the new provisions for asymptomatic positives.