Omicron gallops. Not only in China, where we are witnessing the biggest lockdown ever, but also in Europe, and in Italy. Like other variants, Omicron is also composed of a series of sub-variants: the 3 most common sub-variants currently are BA.1, BA.1.1 and BA.2.
The Omicron variant spreads more easily than its predecessors, including the Delta. In general, people who have contracted Omicron may have symptoms similar to the previous variants. The presence and severity of symptoms can be influenced by the Covid vaccination status, the presence of other health conditions, age and history of previous infection.
Omicron infection generally causes less severe disease compared to infection with previous variants, as reported by international research centers. Preliminary data suggests that Omicron may cause milder disease, although some people may still have severe disease, require hospitalization, and may die from infection with this variant.
Even if only a small percentage of people infected with Omicron need hospitalization, the problem is always that a large number of positive cases in a community could lead to an overload of the health system, which is why it is important to take steps to protect yourself.
The most common symptoms in the vaccinated
A group of researchers in Norway conducted a study interviewing 111 out of 117 guests at a party on November 26, 2021 where an Omicron outbreak occurred. Of the group interviewed, 66 had a positive swab and 15 had possible relationships with the virus, but without confirmation. Of the 111 participants, 89% had received two doses of an mRNA vaccine and none had received the third booster dose (here how Omicron 1 symptoms changed).
According to the results published in the journal of infectious diseases and epidemiology Eurosurveillance, there have been 8 key symptoms experienced by the group of fully vaccinated partygoers. These were:
- cough
- a runny nose
- fatigue
- sore throat
- headache
- muscle aches / chills
- fever
- sneezing.
The study found that cough, runny nose and fatigue were among the most common symptoms in vaccinated individuals, while sneezing and fever were less common.
More than just feeling tired, fatigue can result in physical pain causing sore or weak muscles, headaches, and even blurred vision and loss of appetite.
Angelique Coetzee, president of the South African Medical Association, explained that fatigue was one of the main symptoms of Omicron when the variant exploded in South Africa. According to a Web MD survey asking users how often they felt fatigued, 40% of women reported fatigue from Covid compared to a third of men.
Although the vaccine protects against the more serious risks of the virus, it is still possible to contract Covid. The milder nature of the symptoms makes it difficult for people to tell the virus from a common cold. According to scholars, about 50% of new colds today could be Covid.
Public health experts also add the nausea to this list of symptoms in vaccinated people who have contracted the Omicron variant.
Two new symptoms that say you may have Omicron
Experts also suggest that there are 2 distinct symptoms that could be a hallmark of Omicron:
In recent weeks, more and more people who have tested positive for the swab complain of dizziness and a sense of fainting, which is why it is good to pay attention to these possible symptoms, and, even in the absence of other possible manifestations of the virus, it would be advisable to undergo a swab.
Other possible symptoms I am:
- shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing
- loss of taste or smell
- He retched
- diarrhea.
Omicron incubation
The incubation time generally associated with Covid is on average 5 days, but it can also reach after 2 days and up to over 10.
However, the Omicron variant, including Omicron 2, appears to be faster, so much so that incubation averages Three days circa.