Omicron’s tell-tale symptom that appears overnight

Although there are still many unknowns about the new variant, we are learning more details every day.

More contagious than its predecessors, the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has caused the number of infected to grow. On Sunday The World Health Organization (WHO) stated the new variant, saying it spreads faster than the Delta variant and is already present in 63 countries worldwide. The agency also warns of rapid infections in countries with high immunization rates.
“It may be due to immune evasion, increased intrinsic transmissibility, or a combination of both.” “There are still no certainties,” underlines the text.

Although there are many unknowns about the new variant, preliminary conclusions point to a scenario with fewer severe cases. At the moment, there is no regret for any deaths from Ómicron. However, its ability to re-infect by escaping the immunity of the previous disease gives it a significant advantage over Delta, and experts predict that the increase in transmission will mean an increase in hospitalizations.

A study prepared and published by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has just presented a preliminary profile with the most common symptoms for Omicron. According to the report, the most common symptom of people who fall ill with Omicron is a dry cough, which affects up to 89% of those infected. Other common symptoms are fatigue (65%) and nasal congestion (59%). Difficulty breathing (16%), diarrhea (11%), or loss of taste and smell (8%) are the least frequent.

But there is a tell-tale sign that distinguishes Ómicron from the other variants, and that is that it manifests itself during the night. In a briefing convened by the South African Department of Health, doctor Unben Pillay revealed that patients had reported unusual night sweats in addition to the symptoms mentioned above.
” These are of such intensity that the patient’s pajamas and bedding wake up soaked, ” said Unben Pillay.

Although many of the first reported cases of Omicron variant infection appear to be mild, as with all variants, “there is a lag between infection and more severe outcomes,” the CDC report notes. “Even if most infections are mild, a highly communicable variant could result in enough cases to overwhelm healthcare systems,” the authors wrote.