Omicron variant makes people sick faster; people with comorbidities at higher risk – ET HealthWorld

The symptoms of infection with the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus remain the same as the other variants that have been seen over the last two years.The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also advised that there is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with Omicron are different from those from other variants. The most common symptoms include fever, cough, tiredness and loss of taste or smell, all symptoms of a regular cold or flu. Some patients may also experience sore throat/ throat pain, headache, aches and pains, diarrhoea, skin rash, and irritation in eyes. In severe cases, there may be difficulty in breathing with shortness of breath and chest pain, which calls for emergency medical attention.

Are there any differences in symptoms encountered by patients of different age groups?

The symptoms are more or less the same across age groups. During the first wave of COVID, it was seen that children were less infected. It is still too early to say anything specifically about Omicron. The risk of moderate or severe infection remains the same and increases if an individual has comorbidities. This is across age groups and children with conditions such as juvenile diabetes or heart conditions face an increased risk of severe complication even from Omicron.

How are the symptoms of Omicron different from Delta and other previous variants?

There are no clear differences between the early symptoms of Delta and Omicron. The Zoe COVID study app in the UK has reported cold symptoms such as runny nose, mild to severe fatigue, headache, sneezing and sore throat as common symptoms for Omicron.There is no detailed study yet in India on Omicron and we should have more information in a few weeks.

What safety measures should be followed specifically for the Omicron variant?

Omicron has been reported to be more transmissible and contagious than the previous variants and this has been seen in the exponential rise in cases in US, UK, Europe and now in Indian metros. The safety measures remain the same – wear a mask at all times, avoid crowds, practice hand sanitisation, work from home if your job permits and take care to test at the first sign of any symptoms. And of course, for those eligible – get vaccinated. While vaccinations may not prevent infection, the infection is more likely to be mild with vaccination. In the US and UK, it has been seen that a major share of the severely ill patients are the unvaccinated.

When it is said that there are mild symptoms faced by Omicron patients, what exactly does “mild” suggest?

Mild indicates that the percentage of patients who will end up in hospital, requiring oxygen or intensive care is lower than the earlier variants. However, we must not be lulled into a sense of complacency as the Omicron variant can lead to a huge number of cases in a short period of time and even a smaller percentage of a bigger number is a large number of patients who will need to be hospitalised and need specialised care.

We must remember that in patients with existing co-morbidities, Omicron can cause the underlying illness to flare up. In patients with diabetes, COVID even if it is from the Omicron variant, can lead to development of life threatening diabetic ketoacidosis. For patients on chemotherapy and who are immunocompromised, the risk is evident!

Does the Omicron variant impact the kidney and heart in any way?

Just as the earlier variants of COVID caused damage to the heart, kidney and other organs due to the body’s immune system response to the virus, the same is the case with Omicron.