BackDizziness, Fatigue: Common symptoms of Stealth Omicron you should not ignore
The two most reported symptom of patients infected by the Stealth Omicron variant is -dizziness and fatigue. However, one must note, these are only early stage symptoms.
PremiumThe Stealth Omicron variant has fueled the recent outbreak in China, which according to reports is the biggest one in two years for the east Asian country.
The National Health Commission in China reported 1,337 locally transmitted cases in the latest 24-hour period, including 895 in the industrial province of Jilin. A government notice said that police permission would be required for people to leave the area or travel from one city to another.
What is Stealth Omicron variant?
The deadly novel coronavirus mutated over time and and has created newer variants that fueled every wave of the pandemic. The Delta Variant killed the most number of people during the second wave. The third wave was driven by the Omicron Variant that was first detected in South Africa.
The virus mutating due to environmental factors and geographical area leads to several changes in the nature and structure of the virus.
Notably the new sub-variant of the Omicron is diverse from the parent variant. Dubbed as "stealth", the sub-variant of Omicron is concerning as they are hard to detect. Knowing the signs of the stealth variant can help to detect the condition faster and take the right steps to avoid complications.
The BA.2 has been sometimes dubbed a stealth variant because it is missing key mutations in its spike protein that are necessary for rapid PCR tests to distinguish it from previous variants, such as Delta. This difference also may be why BA.2 escaped attention earlier.
Even though BA.2 is labelled a subvariant of Omicron, its genetic make-up is quite different from the latter. As per researchers, the Stealth variant has about 20 mutations that differ from the original Omicron. This makes it quite different from the Omicron variant in a number of ways and is also a reason for concern. As the Stealth Omicron variant is diverse from the Omicron variant to such a great extent, it is difficult to trace its nature and its aggressiveness. Predicting anything at this stage would be incorrect and may mislead others.
Stealth Omicron Symptoms
Read below for the BA.2 variant's symptoms.
WHO had recently mentioned that Omicron primarily affects the upper respiratory tract instead of the lungs, unlike some prior versions of the virus, like Delta.
Even though WHO agrees that the knowledge about B.A2 is still developing, but this lineage is more diverse. Empirical data has said that this spread faster than the Omicron variant, which in itself had a higher transmissibility than Covid-19.
The two most reported symptom of patients infected by the Stealth Omicron variant is -dizziness and fatigue. However, one must note, these are only early stage symptoms.
Even though dizziness and fatigue are common everyday symptoms, one must keep an eye out for the persistence of the same. If this bothers you for a couple of days or more, then one should consult a doctor.
These symptoms can appear within two-three days after getting infected with the virus and may linger in the body for longer.
Apart from two telltale signs, the new sub-variant may also lead to other symptoms like:
-Fever
-Extreme fatigue
-Coughing
-Sore throat
-Sore head
-Muscular fatigue
-Elevated heart rate
Cold has also been notably the most reported symptom of the BA.2 variant of Omicron, especially in people who've been vaccinated, according to Zoe Covid study app of UK.
One can also rule out symptoms like loss of smell or taste and shortness of breath, as the BA.2 variant does not affect the lungs primarily.
As far as the contagiousness of the subvariant is concerned it can spread as easily as its parent variant. Due to its highly contagious nature, it has already spread to several countries and is believed to spike positive cases in the coming days. The only way to protect ourselves is by getting vaccinated and following all the Covid norms with due diligence.
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