There are a few common manifestations that you may be infected with the COVID-19 Omicron variant, but you may be able to HEAR the very first symptom before you get sick, according to experts.
If others are commenting on your croaky voice and you haven’t been shouting or singing, it could be time to take a rapid test.
You may even notice that your voice is huskier and deeper than usual.
This could be because you have a scratchy throat, which is one of the earliest signs of Omicron, according to specialists.
Doctors have observed that patients do not appear to be suffering from painful throats, as Delta sometimes does, but rather scratchy throats.
During a conference last month, Ryan Roach, CEO of Discovery Health, South Africa’s largest private health insurance, stated that it is the most common symptom experienced by Omicron patients.
According to him, this is frequently followed by nasal congestion, with additional common symptoms including a dry cough and lower back pain.
Many early and small studies have reported that Omicron is milder than other strains, with the first official UK assessment finding that the likelihood of hospitalization is 50 to 70% lower than with Delta.
A booster dose provides the best protection against Omicron, with preliminary studies indicating that it restores efficacy to 75%.
There haven’t been any reports of lower back pain or scratchy throats in other variants.
According to reports from the United States, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the following are common Omicron early warning signs:
- Runny nose/congestion
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Sneezing
- Night sweats
- Body aches
According to the ZOE Covid Symptom Study app, a sore throat is one of the most often reported symptoms in both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
Tim Spector, the leading researcher on the study said: “We are getting a messages that the sore throat people are getting with Covid is a bit unusual, it’s not like they’ve seen it before.
“Maybe in a different place, or it feels differently.
“We might be doing some more research on that to see if we can distinguish these Covid type symptoms from the ones of a normal cold virus.”
Some specialists believe that getting checked is worthwhile if you are feeling unwell, regardless of the symptoms.
They also suggest that even if your lateral flow is negative, you should isolate yourself if you have symptoms.
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