Covid experts have shared the very first signs of omicron that should never be ignored.
Professor Tim Spector, who leads the Covid ZOE Symptom Study App research, has spoken out on the information.
Eight early symptoms of the highly transmissible mutant strain have been identified based on research in South Africa.
They have also revealed that while Covid-19 symptoms for Delta and other strains come on between five and 14 days, Omicron symptoms may appear sooner.
According to health science company Zoe, the first symptoms which can appear as quickly as 48 hours after you’ve been infected with Omicron.
Alongside sneezing and fatigue, these also include a scratchy throat and runny nose.
You may also experience lower back pain, or a headache, as well as night sweats and body aches in general.
Prof Tim Spector, who leads the ZOE study, said: “Hopefully people now recognise the cold-like symptoms which appear to be the predominant feature of Omicron.”
Less common symptoms such as a loss of appetite have also been identified as signs of the virus.
The warning comes as Scots nervously await today's update from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon - you can follow along with today's announcement on our dedicated live blog here.
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