There’s a lot of diversity in #Omicron right now, with >300 sublines in circulation. ~95% of these are BA.5 sublines, ~20% of which are BQ.1 sublines We need better surveillance, sequencing and sharing of data so that fast and powerful analyzes can be conducted regularly. https://t.co/Kr7lL6cSYr — Maria Van Kerkhove (@mvankerkhove) November 3, 2022 Since the advent of Omicron, the symptoms associated with the infection have also changed. So the question is with so many variants floating around, how do you recognize you have COVID from the symptoms? Let’s dig deeper.
What are the common symptoms of Omicron?
“Classic” symptoms like – loss of taste and smell are no longer signs that you have COVID. With Omicron, the symptoms have changed and the “common” signs of infection are now a cough, which develops into a chronic cough or bronchitis, fatigue, which is so dominant that it affects the person’s daily life, headache, fever, runny nose, itching in the neck. which often seems painful and makes it difficult to swallow food and muscle pain
What are the new variants of Omicron in India?
Several Indian states have reported new variants of Omicron, XXB and BQ.1, but they have not led to a significant increase in coronavirus infections and hospitalizations. The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), in a statement, said it is closely monitoring the emergence and evolution of XBB and XBB.1 and any new subtypes.
What are the symptoms of the new Omicron variants?
Dr Anita Mathew, Infectious Disease Specialist at Fortis Hospital, Mulund, told PTI that many of the new patients are asymptomatic. “Many people have occasional COVID-19. In other words, they visit the hospital for other health conditions and test positive for the coronavirus,” he adds. Symptoms such as loss of smell and taste, prominently seen in previous infections, have not been seen in many patients. Many of them report colds and coughs, which is why not many tests or self-isolation are done, Dr Mathew added. Adding to this, Dr Laxman Jessani, Consultant Infectious Diseases at Apollo Hospitals in Navi Mumbai, said the chances of hospitalization and ICU admissions are low as the infections are mostly mild. However, “high-risk groups and the elderly should avoid going out to avoid getting infected, especially in crowded places,” he said, adding that wearing a mask is essential. (With information from agencies) View all Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and latest news updates on Live Mint. Download the Mint News app to get daily market updates. More Less
