Omicron changed COVID-19 symptoms. These four are the most common now

The BA.5 sub-variant of the Omikron mutation is today the main driving force of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is estimated that he is responsible for over 90 percent. SARS-CoV-2 infections in the world. Many people ask themselves, how much did this sub-variant modify the symptoms of COVID-19? Doctors talk about one fundamental change and list four symptoms that appear most often in COVID-19 today.

1. The BA.5 sub-option influenced the clinical picture of COVID-19. The frequency of some symptoms has changed
2. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, loss of sense of smell or taste was the most common symptom of coronavirus infection. Today it is a rare symptom
3. The most common symptoms of coronavirus infection today are a sore throat, headache, stuffy nose and dry cough. Here’s what doctors say about them
4. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

“The disease is a bit different because the coronavirus has changed”

Since the detection of the Omicron BA.5 sub-variant, scientists have been analyzing very carefully how this mutation affects the clinical picture of COVID-19. This is all the more important as BA.5 is the most infectious and the most easily spreading “version” of the coronavirus to date. Moreover, it is able to overcome the immunity generated by vaccination and / or previous contracting of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The observations so far show that BA.5 causes similar symptoms to other mutations in the coronavirus. Doctors, however, point out an important point: with infection with this sub-variant, the frequency of individual symptoms changes. “The disease is a bit different because the coronavirus has changed” – experts remind. We all remember that at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, loss of smell or taste was the most common symptom of coronavirus infection. Today it is a rare symptom. Dyspnoea is also less frequently observed (which is good news).

The change in the frequency of some COVID-19 symptoms is due to the fact that BA.5 tends to reside not in the lungs but in the upper airways. As a result, the symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection can greatly increase the upper respiratory tract infections. In other words, many cases of COVID-19 can look like the flu or a cold. Observations show that this happens more often in vaccinated people.

The four most common symptoms of COVID-19 today

The most common symptom of coronavirus infection today is a sore throat. It is estimated that more than half of people infected with Omicron experience it (in the case of the Delta mutation, it was just over 30%). A sore throat from COVID-19 was experienced by Dr. Mike Hansen, an intensive care physician and pulmonologist. “The first three to four days were the worst,” he says. “Although my sore throat did not bother me when I drank or swallowed food, every time I had saliva on the back of my throat and wanted to swallow it was extremely painful” – said the doctor. A COVID-19 sore throat can last an average of five days.

Another dominant symptom of Omicron is moderate to intense headache, often accompanied by a feeling of pressure or stinging. This symptom can usually last for more than three days. The other two symptoms that are fairly common today are stuffy nose and dry cough. Interestingly, this last symptom will probably last the longest. “Coughing is usually the most long-lasting effect in any viral infection” Dr. Allison Arwady, Chicago’s top physician recently emphasized.

Other common symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection now include: runny nose, cough with phlegm, hoarseness, sneezing, fatigue, muscle aches, dizziness, fever, body aches, loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea.

Doctors admonish. “The extent of the coronavirus infection is remarkable”

The above symptoms absolutely do not exhaust the picture of COVID-19. Doctors warn patients that their type and severity can vary greatly from person to person. “It depends on age, comorbidity, vaccination status … I think there is no way to predict this,” admits infectious disease specialist Dr. Sharon Welbel.

The leading American epidemiologist Dr.Anthony Fauci recently spoke in the same vein: The extent of the coronavirus infection is remarkable, from people who have a stuffy nose and a weak sore throat to those who have severe lung involvement requiring intubation and intensive care – he warned.