Some symptoms related to the intestine could be the alarm bell that informs you that you have been infected with the variant Omicron BA.2. Some patients suffer from abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, bloating, vomiting and heartburn. Since its appearance we have understood that this variant is much more contagious than the previous ones, even of the Delta. However, it is not yet known exactly how much its contagion could lead to serious cases of the disease, the experts are still at work.
In the meantime, however, studies conducted in Great Britain have revealed that there are other symptoms, this time related to the intestine, which could inform us that we have contracted theOmicron 2. With Delta, the main ones involved the upper respiratory tract, or the throat. Here, on the other hand, it is the intestine that is affected, with 6 new symptoms: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, heartburn and bloating.
What are the symptoms
So far, there are 25 symptoms that we know of and that have been reported by those who have contracted the Omicron variant. Also because, according to experts, Omicron patients show different symptoms, depending on their vaccination status and any immunity derived from previous infections. However, we can say that among these we find the appearance of fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, possible loss of smell or taste, sore throat or hoarse voice, nasal congestion, nausea or even vomiting, diarrhea, high temperature, continuous cough, back pain, loss of appetite, especially in older people disorientation or confusion, heartburn, bloating, sleep paralysis, skin rash, night sweats, tongue disorders such as swelling or bumps, ulcers and white patches, finger problems in both upper and lower limbs, swelling and color change from bright red to purplish, chest pain, abdominal pain.
The sub-variant Omicron BA.2
As we said earlier, we have known for a long time that this Omicron sub-variant is much more transmissible than the previous one, BA.1, even if their degree of severity is the same. So, should there be a new wave of Omicron, it will mainly be given by variant 2 which at the moment, worldwide, is at 34%, with 156,014 sequences. Immediately after there is 1 which is instead at 24.7% with 112,655 sequences. A new sub-variant, BA.3, is far behind for now, at less than 1%, with only 101 sequences.
What the researchers found
The Danish experts examined the spread of the two Omicron sub-variants in family settings. Those with BA.2 were more likely to infect their cohabitants than those with BA.1. Thanks to some studies carried out in England it has also been seen that on average the contagion it happened faster. Now BA.2 is dominant in all countries, and has ousted the previous one. According to estimates by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, BA.2 has increased to 11% since early March, compared to only 1% in early February. However, this does not mean that a new wave is underway in America. In fact, even though variant 2 is dominant, the number of new cases has dropped by 95%. In the rest of the world there is also a decline in new cases per day, about half of those recorded at the end of January, at the time of the peak. Relaxing the restrictions right now, as many countries are doing, could favor the spread of the BS.2 variant.
What happens in Italy
In our country too, new cases are increasing. Last week the incidence of Covid cases was 433 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants, while now we are at 510. The Rt, the average transmissibility index calculated on symptomatic cases, is increasing, at 0.83 compared to 0, 75 of the previous week. On the other hand, the occupancy of hospital beds is decreasing, both in the intensive and in the ordinary wards. In the first case we went from 6.6% to 5.5%, while in the second from 14.7% to 12.9%.
Silvio Brusaferro, president of the ISS, the Higher Institute of Health, explained that we are witnessing an inversion of the contagion curve, rising again after several weeks. “Omicron is the dominant variant, while the Omicron Ba2 sub-lineage, more transmissible, is growing, also in Italy and the theme that must arouse our attention is that of reinfections”, he specified.
How they protect vaccines
Vaccines currently in use are effective against the BA.2 sub-variant. They are able to protect those who contract it against serious illness, particularly those who have received a booster dose. People who are infected are unlikely to be hospitalized.
Dr @mvankerkhove explains what studies have shown so far on the difference in severity of #COVID19 disease caused by BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron sub-lineages ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/3dA1aaFqAo
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 5, 2022