Omicron variant, what are the symptoms: from a runny nose to fatigue.
Runny nose and tiredness: at the moment these are i symptoms which are most frequently associated with variante Omicron of SarsCoV2 coronavirus, but the data in this regard are still preliminary and very few. The first come from the British research published in the British Medical Journal and conducted by King’s College London in collaboration with the company Zoe, engaged in epidemiological studies on the Covid-19 pandemic.
Five main symptoms of the Omicron variant
According to the research, there are five main symptoms: runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing and sore throat. The same authors of the article note that these are only initial and very partial indications, based on the positive cases observed in London, where the Omicron variant is much more widespread than in the rest of Great Britain.
The other symptoms
The British government then added it to the list fever, cough and loss of smell and taste, although these symptoms are more associated with the Alfa variant. Cough, tiredness and runny nose are, in this order, the symptoms indicated by United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Cdc), according to which the loss of taste and smell would be less common. The epidemiologist Katherine A. Poehling, consultant of the CDC, however, observes that the symptoms identified so far are based on the data observed in some positive cases and not on scientific studies.
“It is premature to talk about symptoms because there are still no reliable data published” also for the virologist Francesco Broccolo, of the University of Milan Bicocca. Instead, what the data from Scotland and Northern Europe indicate, continues the virologist, is that “the cases caused by the Omicron variant are associated with a decidedly lower hospitalization, estimated two thirds less, but it is not clear whether this is due to vaccination coverage or a lower real virulence of Omicron », he added referring to characteristics of the virus such as greater transmissibility, escape from neutralizing antibodies generated by the vaccine and greater ability to replicate.
Battiston: in Italy cases of Omicron at 45% of the total at Christmas
On Christmas day, the cases of Omicron in Italy amounted to about 45% of the total of the approximately 54,762 cases of SarsCoV2 that were registered: this is indicated by the calculations of physicist Roberto Battiston, of the University of Trento and coordinator of the Observatory of epidemiological data in collaboration with the National Agency for Regional Health Services (Agenas). The data relating to Christmas day and the previous day are currently the most reliable to make these estimates, pending normal test activity after the holidays. «In Italy, Omicron made itself felt in the particular moment of the holidays. Its massive growth was expected, but – observes Battiston – it is happening without enough being known, even if the heavy effects are clearly visible, such as the large number of infected that add to the contribution of the Delta, the tampons that are not found and the queues in front of pharmacies. The numbers of the epidemic are growing fast, but the sequencing data is scarce and very slow compared to the speed with which the virus moves ».
However, the statistical analysis of the data provided by the Civil Protection allows us to quickly obtain useful information on the trend of the Omicron epidemic, subtracting from the recorded data the expected trend of Delta cases, regularly monitored in the last two months. “From the regular trend of the Delta it was possible to estimate a weekly peak of about 30,000 cases at Christmas, which actually occurred. Without this contribution, the contribution due to the Omicron is obtained, a variant that clearly shows its presence, at the level of rapid growth of RT and statistical data, already in more than 50% of the 107 Italian provinces “.
© All rights reserved