The sign of the new Omicron variant which can appear when eating.
One surprising symptom of the Omicron variant of COVID is a loss of appetite.
Although this is not one of the main symptoms that people are reporting, it is still present on the list.
The symptoms of Omicron are different to those of the Delta variant of COVID.
For example, only 50 percent of people are reporting experiencing three of the most common symptoms of delta:
- loss of sense of smell or taste,
- fever,
- cough.
Instead, people with Omicron are most often reporting these five symptoms:
- sore throat,
- headache,
- fatigue,
- runny nose,
- and sneezing.
Some people are also reporting a ‘brain fog’.
This refers to feeling a sense of forgetfulness, confusion and lack of mental clarity.
The insight into the symptoms of the Omicron variant of COVID comes from the UK-based ZOE COVID study.
The study has been monitoring the effects of the new Omicron variant.
These have been compared with the symptoms reported by people when the Delta variant was at its peak.
Telling a cold from COVID
There is certainly understandable confusion between the different variants and the common cold, which is also rampant at this time of year.
For example, previously a runny or stuffy nose was a common symptom of a cold, but not of COVID (the Delta variant).
However, now people are reporting a runny or stuffy nose as a common symptom of Omicron.
Similarly, sneezing was relatively rare with Delta, but is now being reported much more frequently in connection with Omicron.
Previously, a fever was a strong sign that what you had was COVID, perhaps one of the strongest.
Now, though, people with Omicron are not reporting a fever.
How serious is Omicron?
So far the data suggests that the Omicron variant of COVID, while spreading quicker, is milder than Delta.
The proportion of people being hospitalised with the disease in many countries is lower than with Delta.
While it is possible that Omicron is milder, it is also true that many people around the world have built up natural immunity due to infection and vaccination.
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