Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
Lifestyle
Kieren Williams & Mya Bollan

20 top Omicron Covid symptoms and how long they could last

You could experience up to 20 symptoms when infected with Omicron, according to the ZOE Covid Study.

The study uses data from nearly five million members of the public in order to track and understand the virus.

This includes keeping note of signs and symptoms as well as how long they tend to last.

The latest information has revealed the top five symptoms as well as a longer list noting 20 possible signs of the virus strain, reports The Mirror.

The five most common Omicron symptoms are a runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing and a sore throat.

This is a far cry from the symptoms of the alpha variant, the strain of the virus that first swept the country and had the nation fearing coughs.

The study has identified 20 symptoms of the Omicron variant. (Getty)

Other symptoms in the top 20 most commonly reported included a hoarse voice, chills or shiver, brain fog, feeling dizzy, skipped meals and feeling down.

This doesn’t mean there aren’t other symptoms, but these were the most widely reported on the study.

On top of that, the symptoms seem to have come on faster than Delta, with a shorter incubation period too.

People with the Omicron variant are likely to get them within two-to-five days after exposure.

Professor Tim Spector, who’s worked on the study, said: "Over 50 per cent of people with a cold-like symptom have PCR proven Covid.

"It will be interesting to see if this changes when schools go back.

"It shows that the restrictions, social distancing, possibly mask wearing has had a greater effect on colds and flu than Omicron, which is even better at infecting us.

"It does suggest that these symptoms are of shorter duration than they are of Delta.

"People are having symptoms for a shorter amount of time, especially in that first week.

"If people are testing negative with lateral flow tests at the end of those five days because the whole period of that infection and getting over it appears to be faster."

Top 20 Omicron symptoms:

  1. Headache
  2. Runny nose
  3. Fatigue
  4. Sneezing
  5. Sore throat
  6. Persistent cough
  7. Hoarse voice
  8. Other
  9. Chills or shivers
  10. Fever
  11. Dizzy
  12. Brain fog
  13. Altered smell
  14. Eye soreness
  15. Unusual muscle pains
  16. Skipped meals
  17. Loss of smell
  18. Chest pain
  19. Swollen glands
  20. Feeling down

This comes as early data seems to point towards a peak in the Omicron wave, as cases continue to fall day-on-day.

The lag between catching Covid, and going to hospital, and then again to ICU means that hospitalisations continue to rise, but there is hope the country may have made it through the worst of it.

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.