Scientists have warned people to look out for surprising Covid symptoms that we haven’t seen before as cases of the Omicron strain spread across the UK.
A study from symptom tracking app ZOE has revealed that just 50% of people infected with the Omicron Covid variant experienced the three classic coronavirus symptoms of fever, cough, or loss of sense of smell or taste.
Among the non-classic symptoms that have been reported by those infected with Omicron is a loss of appetite.
Another commonly reported sign is brain fog, which is described as a sense of confusion, forgetfulness, and a lack of focus and mental clarity.
According to the American Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, another common symptom of Omicron which has not been reported in other variants is congestion.
What are the common symptoms of Omicron?
According to ZOE, the top five symptoms of Omicron are :
- Runny Nose
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Sneezing
- Sore Throats
ZOE has added that some of these symptoms including a dry/scratchy throat appear as early as 48 hours of being infected by the Omicron variant.
The symptoms of the new variant have been described as being 'extremely mild,' though there are fears of it being more transmissible and being able to evade vaccine immunity.
However, Dr Angelique Coetzee, who first raised the alarm on the new variant in South Africa warned that some symptoms like headaches and sore muscles may be more intense, particularly among those who are unvaccinated.
What to do if you have Covid symptoms?
If you believe that you have Covid or are experiencing any symptoms, the NHS advises that you take a PCR test as soon as possible. It adds that you should stay at home and self-isolate, leaving your home only after you get a negative test result back.
ZOE ,which continues to do more research on the symptom profile of Omicron, has also stressed the importance of recognising the symptoms and self-isolating as soon as you spot them in order to control the spread of the variant.
Whether or nortyou have mild symptoms or are asymptomatic, anyone who has Covid can infect others from around two days before symptoms start for up to 10 days after, which is why government guidance advises that we stay at home until we test negative.
If you're fully vaccinated and have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid, you're advised to take daily lateral flow tests for seven days even if you show no symptom.
