How symptoms of Omicron variant differ from Alpha and Delta. All you need to know

As the world grapples with the mounting concerns over new Covid-19 variant and the possibility that the virus will mutate further to evade immunity provided by vaccines, experts list symptoms to help us understand what we may be dealing with. 

While Omicron symptoms include fever, severe body ache, sore throat, occasional loose motion as seen in patients across India, according to reports by doctors, there are still newer symptoms to look out for. Recently, the American Centre for Disease Control and Prevention warned that people should watch out for pale, grey or blue-coloured skin, lips and nails.

Here is what you need to know about Alpha, Delta and Omicron variant symptoms: 

1) The recorded symptoms of Omicron are remarkably different from the traditional Covid symptoms which included loss of smell and taste and breathing troubles. Instead, scratchy throat and some other common cold and flu-like symptoms have been associated with Omicron. 

2) The absence of respiratory problems has made Omicron appear less severe but as experts warn against taking Omicron lightly, doctors treating Omicron also said many patients may report high fever in the first few days.

3) Flu-like symptoms including cough, cold and fever have remained as common symptoms of Covid, be it Omicron or Delta. 

4) Sore throat is a very common symptom of Omicron, not so much of Delta, but it should not be ruled out as patients may suffer from it sometimes.

5) Headache, tiredness, severe body pain are apparently more prominent symptoms of Omicron than Delta. 

6) Breathing problem is a very rare symptom of Omicron, very common of Delta, 

7) Covid-19 clinical researcher Dr Swapneil Parikh said upper respiratory symptoms (cold, cough, sore throat) plus prominent GI symptoms (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea) plus fever plus pain in the lower back and lower limbs are common symptoms of Omicron. 

8) Dr Lancelot Pinto noted four prominent symptoms of Omicron: Fever for a couple of days, a lot of body ache, sore throat, occasionally loose motion.

9) Omicron is more likely than delta to reinfect individuals who previously had Covid-19 and to cause “breakthrough infections” in vaccinated people while also attacking the unvaccinated. 

It is important to note that the all symptoms vary from person to person, depending on their immunity, vaccination status. Symptoms only offer clues and are not sure-shot ways to know about the infection.

Additionally, experts don't know what the next variants will look like or how they might shape the pandemic, but they say there's no guarantee the sequels of omicron will cause milder illness or that existing vaccines will work against them. They urge wider vaccination now, while today's shots still work.