A new report has confirmed the most common symptom of Omicron with the variant accelerating more than during the first wave.
Professor Tim Spector, who helped found the Covid Zoe app, said covid cases in London are accelerating more than was seen during the very first wave of the virus.
The government has introduced new restrictions ahead of Christmas in an effort to combat the spread of the variant.
READ MORE: First image of 'raucous' Tory Christmas party thrown in lockdown
Earlier this month Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed it was now the 'proportionate and responsible thing' to move to Plan B'.
People are now being encouraged to work from home if they can, face masks have become compulsory in 'most public indoor venues' including theatres and cinemas from December 10.
NHS covid passes will also be needed for nightclubs, unseated indoor venues with more than 500 people, unseated outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people, and any venue with more than 10,000 people.
Scientists are 'rapidly' working to learn more about the Omicron variant to better understand how easily it might be transmitted and the effectiveness of current diagnostic tests, vaccines and therapeutics against this variant.
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been working to better understand Omicron after the World Health Organisation (WHO) classified it as a 'variant of concern' last month.
Researchers at the CDC found the most common symptoms associated with Omicron, including one that was reported in 89% of cases.
A cough was found to be the most common symptom, with South African scientists reporting the cough to be dry with a 'scratchy throat'.
The CDC report said: "Many of the first reported cases of Omicron variant infection appear to be mild, although as with all variants, a lag exists between infection and more severe outcomes, and symptoms would be expected to be milder in vaccinated persons and those with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection than in unvaccinated persons.
"Even if most infections are mild, a highly transmissible variant could result in enough cases to overwhelm health systems. The clinical severity of infection with the Omicron variant will become better understood as additional cases are identified and investigated."
The report found 43 cases associated with Omicron with 93% of cases classified as symptomatic.
Researches found that 33 people showed symptoms of a cough, 24 with fatigue and 22 with congestion or a runny nose.
Fever was reported in 38% of cases, nausea or vomiting in 22% of cases and shortness of breath in 16%.
Professor Spector told the Today programme the “majority of symptoms” of the Omicron variant are like a common cold, including headaches, sore throat, runny nose, fatigue and sneezing.
He said: “In London, where Covid is increasing rapidly, it’s far more likely to be Covid than it is to be a cold.
“If we look at our regional charts we see London accelerating more than we’ve seen it since the very first wave and this now means that Omicron is the predominant variant already.”
