The latest information recorded in ZOE COVID, a COVID-19 tracking application in the UK, has revealed the top five Omicron symptoms that many patients complain about are headaches, runny nose, sneezing, a sore throat, and coughing.
According to a researcher from ZOE COVID named Professor Tim Spector, testing is very important because Omicron’s symptoms are similar to the common cold.
As reported in the Independent on Thursday 3rd February, Spector said that the data from the application he developed could track the symptoms of COVID-19. Around 4.7 million application users can enter any symptoms they experience, including classic COVID-19 symptoms such as fever and cough and anosmia or loss of smell.
Symptoms of Omicron
Headache
Headaches are known to be one of the most common symptoms of COVID-19 infection. The research also showed that the headaches caused by the coronavirus were felt by patients, including:
- Moderate to severe pain or headache
- A throbbing, pressing or stabbing pain
- Pain on either side of the head
- Pain lasting for more than three days that cannot be treated with regular painkillers
Runny nose
At least nearly 60 percent of people who are positive for COVID-19 with symptoms of anosmia also complain of a runny nose. The researchers underlined that when infection rates are low, it’s more likely that a runny nose is not caused by the coronavirus, but allergies.
Sneezing
The characteristics of the Omicron symptom found by the next research team was sneezing. This symptom, they say, even occurs in people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
On the other hand, the team explained that sneezing doesn’t necessarily indicate infection with the Omicron variant but can signal allergies or the common cold.
“Although many people with COVID may be, it is not a definite symptom because sneezing is very common,” the researchers wrote.
Sore throat
The ZOE COVID study noted that sore throats due to COVID-19 infection tend to be mild and last less than five days. If a sore throat is very painful, researchers say it may be a sign of another health condition.
Based on the data collected, almost half of COVID-19 patients experience sore throats, which mostly occur at the age of 18 to 65 years.
Cough
A persistent cough is generally a symptom of COVID-19. However, this study showed that only about four out of 10 patients had a cough.
The cough symptoms associated with COVID-19 infection are usually a dry cough, not a cough with phlegm. This symptom can also last about four or five days depending on the degree of disease.
“If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, you should stay at home to prevent transmission and get tested with a PCR or rapid test. Self-diagnosing could cause COVID-19 cases to spike again,” said Alan McNally, professor of microbial evolutionary genomics at the University of Birmingham.