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Daily Record
Daily Record
Health
Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz & Ketsuda Phoutinane

Omicron Covid symptoms on eyes and hair and when 'strange' signs appear

Since Omicron was discovered, the symptoms between it and other strains has been much discussed.

The 'classic' Covid symptoms are at this point generally well known: a continuous cough, fever and loss of smell or taste.

But when it comes to Omicron, the symptoms reported have appeared to vary with two more unusual ones reported, writes The Mirror.

More and more people are falling ill to the virus every day with a record high of 20,217 new cases on January 3.

In fact, Omicron accounts for 91 .1 percent of Covid cases in Scotland as of yesterday.

So as cases continue to surge, it's important to pay attention to Omicron symptoms to avoid spreading the virus.

Two new Omicron symptoms

Pink eye is reportedly a symptom of Omicron (Getty Images)

Recently two strange symptoms of the virus have been reported in sufferers – pink eye, or conjunctivitis, and hair loss.

According to Healthline, the new Omicron variant hits angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2, which is found in parts of the eyes such as the retina and the cells that line the eye white and eyelid.

This can happen within about two days of contracting Omicron.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, hair shedding is a common symptom of Covid.

This happens because more hairs enter the "shedding" phase after someone has had a fever.

This is more likely to happen towards the end of the infection.

What are the main symptoms of Omicron?

A new cough is a main symptom of Covid (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

According to recent data, Omicron causes milder illness than the Delta Covid variant did, particularly in those who are vaccinated.

Everyone should be aware of the main symptoms – a new cough, loss of taste and smell and a fever.

However, experts across the world have now identified eight specific symptoms of the variant that Brits should be aware of.

They are a scratchy throat, runny nose, fatigue, sneezing, lower back pain, headache, night sweats and muscle aches.

These symptoms may appear as early as two days after being exposed to the Omicron virus.

Professor Tim Spector, the scientist behind symptom tracker app Zoe, described the symptoms of Omicron as being more similar to that of a common cold.

This means it's much easier to miss if you're infected with Omicron, with Prof Spector warning anyone with cold-like symptoms to take a Covid test to make sure.

What to do if you think you've got Covid

If you have symptoms of Covid-19 you should book a PCR test as soon as possible.

You should stay home until you get the result, and only leave to get a test.

You can book a free test on the government website.

This can be done by booking a test to be sent to your home, or to go to a test centre.

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