Eight core symptoms of the Omicron Covid variant have now been identified by experts.
The new coronavirus mutation has spread like wildfire across the UK, in a little over a month cases have spiralled from single digits to a quarter of a million.
Luckily, symptoms of Omicron seem to be milder on the whole than other strains of coronavirus, particularly for those who have been vaccinated, reports the Express.
That said, people can still become very ill and, in some cases, have died after contracting Omicron.
The official three symptoms of Covid according to the NHS are a new and continuous cough, a fever and a loss of taste and smell.
However, many people don’t experience any of those symptoms at all. Many people have compared Omicron’s symptoms to a common cold, with a scratchy throat and runny nose appearing among the most common symptoms.
Experts have identified eight warning signs of Omicron and warned these are most likely to come on in the early stages of the illness.
The eight early warning symptoms of Omicron according to data from the UK, US and South Africa are:
- Scratchy throat
- Lower back pain
- Runny nose/congestion
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Sneezing
- Night sweats
- Body aches
These symptoms may appear as early as two days after being exposed to someone who has Omicron.
However, symptoms can take longer to appear, even up to 14 days after exposure, which is why if you’ve been exposed to the virus, you should either continue to test regularly (every day) or self-isolate for 10 days.
Ryan Roach, CEO of South African health insurer Discovery Health, says anecdotal evidence suggests Omicron symptoms seem to come on within three days.
People with a mild case of Covid are usually unwell for about a fortnight, and of course, have to self-isolate for 10 days after testing positive.
However, many people are suffering from long covid, where unpleasant symptoms last for months.
