Symptoms of Omicron same like common cold, UK experts reveal

While scientists still rush to find out the symptoms of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, users of UK’s Zoe Covid app have reported symptoms like common cold.

Some of the most common symptoms reported by users of this Zoe Covid app are runny nose, headaches, fatigue, sore throat, sneezing and more. This data on symptoms has been collected from confirmed cases of Omicron patients.

Also read | As Omicron cases surge, 1.7 million people in the UK had Covid last week

These symptoms match the common cold symptoms but had not been added in the list of Omicron symptoms by the UK government.

As of now, the UK government has mentioned high temperature, a new, continuous cough and loss of change or smell as the main symptoms. The government has urged people to self-isolate and get themselves tested if they observe any of these three symptoms.

Zoe app's analysis was supported by the Sage committee of scientific advisers who said there is "preliminary evidence" of changes in Omicron variant's symptoms and loss of smell or taste "seem to be reported less frequently".

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"Zoe data clearly shows that the most important symptoms are no longer a new continuous cough, a high temperature or loss of taste or smell," Prof Tim Spector, lead scientist on the Zoe Covid study said. "For most people, an Omicron positive case will feel much more like the common cold, starting with a sore throat, runny nose and a headache. You only need to ask a friend who has recently tested positive to find this out."

He has urged the Boris Johnson-led government to change the public messaging as soon as possible and help save those people who are assuming they have common cold, but might be infected with the deadly coronavirus.

"We need to change public messaging urgently to save lives as half of people with cold-like symptoms now have Covid," he told news agency PA.