The extremely high rate of contagion that the omicron variant of Covid-19 lit alerts around the world. Therefore, among the questions raised by this new wave of coronavirus, stands out what are the first symptoms that it presents. Angelique Coetzee, president of the South African Medical Association and who discovered the omicron, presented last week – in addition to headache, runny nose, muscle aches, fatigue and sneezing-, to an itchy throat and a hoarse voice as possible first signs for an infected person.
Gabriela Nadia Ensinck, secretary of the National Committee of Infectology of the Argentine Society of Pediatrics (SAP), confirmed these statements and added that in this strain “upper respiratory symptoms predominate, more than in the bronchi”, which makes dysphonia and sore throat stand out. The infectologist also pointed out that These symptoms may appear before the others.
Other signs that Ensinck named to be alert when it comes to knowing if you are infected with covid, are the “Cutaneous manifestations” on the skin such as palm and soles itching; “These new manifestations have been seen in other variants such as alpha, beta and delta.”
Consulted by LA NACION, the infectious disease doctor Elida Pallone, Former head of infectology at Hospital Eva Perón, also distinguished as the first symptoms and warning signs to take into account the “congestion of the upper airways, which includes pharyngitis and inflation of the vocal cords ”.
According to the specialist, nasal congestion seems to be the most important point added by this new variant. “This is very dynamic, today we say this and tomorrow we can say something else,” warned Pallone.
“But today we can say that omicron affects the upper tracts more than the lungs ”, the infectologist completed.
In Argentina, as of January 6, the total of those affected total 5,915,695 and there are 407,825 active infected, with a pronounced increase in cases in the last week.
Yesterday the country reached a new record of infections, following reporting 95,159 cases Y 52 deaths. The positivity climbed once more and surpassed the all-time high of 52 percent, last Tuesday. On Wednesday it reached 55.7 percent, well above the 10 recommended by the World Health Organization.
“Ómicron is bringing many surprises to us and to the world. We don’t know what the ceiling is going to be we are seeing in other places that it grows and falls very fast and we hope the same will happen in Argentina ”, admitted today the Chief of Cabinet of the Ministry of Health, Sonia Tarragona, in Radio Urbana Play.
“We think that omicron is much more similar to the mild variants that we have seen in vaccinated people, such as the delta mainly”he told the BBC Professor Tim Spector, an epidemiologist at King’s College London, who runs the so-called Zoe Covid Symptom Study, which began 18 months ago and collects data from thousands of people who log their symptoms in an app.
The expert argued that “Most of the symptoms are like a common cold” and detailed that these are “Headaches, sore throat, runny nose, fatigue, and sneezing.”
So far it is known that previous variants of the covid had symptoms such as fever, cough and loss of taste and smell. Now, according to the infectologist, most of the patients who are reporting new infections does not have those “classic symptoms” of coronavirus.
However, the official guide of the British National Health Service (NHS), insists that people should follow pay attention to the classic symptoms of covid: cough, fever, and loss of smell or taste.
Symptoms of omicron: