Doctors say a common symptom reported by people who are infected by the Omicron variant is a "scratchy" throat.
People who test positive for the new strain of the virus have so far most commonly reported cold-like symptoms like a headache, runny nose, sore throat and sneezing, according to the ZOE Covid system study app.
The new symptoms are different from the traditional cough and lost of taste and smell symptoms of the Delta variant.
The type of sore throat found in Omicron patients has specifically been described as 'scratchy' by a number of people treated by South African doctor, Angelique Coetzee.
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A scratchy throat is seemingly more irritated, while a sore throat is more painful. Anecdotal accounts by South African researchers also described a “scratchy throat,” according to Reuters.
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove told the Reuters news agency: "In terms of the severity profile, we have seen reports of cases with Omicron that go from mild disease all the way to severe disease.
"There is some indication that some of the patients are presenting with mild disease, but again it is early days."
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