DOCTOR'S ORDERS
I’m a doctor and these are the five Omicron symptoms you must NEVER ignore
THE Omicron variant is continuing to spread across the UK and medics have urged the NHS to change it's official symptoms.
Experts have advised that symptoms are different to those seen in other variants that have been circulating.
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Throughout the pandemic we have been advised to look out for a new persistent cough, a high temperature and a loss of taste and smell.
But one doctor has warned that Omicron has five distinct symptoms that you should look out for.
Dr Amir Khan said that Omicron symptoms that are coming out of South Africa, by the doctors that are looking after patients with Omicron, show these five new symptoms.
Speaking ITV's Lorraine he explained: "A scratchy throat, mild muscle aches, extreme tiredness, a dry cough and night sweats.
"So those kind of drenching night sweats where you might have to get up and change your clothes.
"This is important and it's important that we keep on top of these symptoms. If we are going to track Omicron and track it worldwide, we need to be able to test people with these symptoms.
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"If they go onto the NHS website and say they have night sweats and muscle aches, they may not be able to book a PCR test.
"So we need the NHS website to keep up with these symptoms. So people can book a PCR test and we can keep track of numbers and symptoms."
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Data coming out of South Africa also shows that lower back pain is another symptom.
It's important that if you think you have Covid then you get a test and isolate in order to stop the spread of the virus.
These new symptoms could mean that many people are missing infections as a scratchy throat could be part of a cold, and many people could mistake back pain for common aches and niggles.
Data published on 78,000 cases of Omicron in South Africa found that the illness is 'milder'.
It was also found that Omicron is causing 23 per cent less hospitalisations than Delta, which is still dominant in the UK, but is soon set to be taken over by Omicron.
The five symptoms to watch out for
- Fatigue
- Night sweats
- Scratchy throat
- Dry cough
- Mild muscle aches
Chief executive of Discovery Health, South Africa’s largest private health insurer, Ryan Roach, said that experts had noticed different symptoms when conducted the study.
During a briefing yesterday, he explained that the most common symptom Omicron patients are facing is a scratchy throat, reported.
This is usually followed by nasal congestion, he said, with other common symptoms including a dry cough and pain in the lower back,
Both lower back pain and a scratchy throat haven't been reported as symptoms with other variants.
'MILD ILLNESS'
Dr Roach did however add that while most cases have been mild, it does not mean the virus is not more transmissible.
Doctors have also said patients don't seem to be suffering with sore throats, as Delta sometimes presents with, but scratchy throats.
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South African medics - who have seen the majority of cases so far - said new cases of the Omicron variant are resulting in mostly mild symptoms, with patients having flu-like illnesses.
Dr Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association, was one of the first people to suspect the Omicron strain.
She noted patients at her clinic had symptoms different to the original strain, and the Delta variant - which has been the most dominant in the world in recent months.
Dr Coetzee said she told health officials she was seeing a "clinical picture that doesn't fit Delta" in November, when patients began to show symptoms "very much related to normal viral infection"
She said as the variant began to infect more people, the most common signs were fatigue, mild muscle aches, a dry cough and a scratchy throat.
JABS AWAY
Medics in the UK have said that the best way to protect yourself from Omicron is to get your booster vaccine.
The Sun's Jabs Army are urging volunteers to come forward to help Give Britain a Booster.
Just last week a study revealed that a booster jab could keep us out of lockdowns.
Any two doses plus a Pfizer booster give up to 75 per cent protection, experts say.
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Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “This data shows how important boosters are.”
Three shots also defend better against severe disease or death — but two doses will soon fail to prevent even a third of cases.
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Dr Jenny Harries says Omicron variant will lead to a 'staggering' number of COVID cases over the next few days
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