Omicron Causes More Damage To the Throat And Leads To Upper Respiratory Symptoms, Expert Shares New Updates

Omicron is the highly mutated variant of the deadly coronavirus which has taken over the globe since 2019. This variant was first found in South Africa but has now spread to over 110 countries.

Omicron variant of COVID-19, which is one of the most transmissible strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has taken over the country in no time. From driving the third wave to leading to a surge in daily infection cases, the Omicron threat is looming large in India. It was just a few months back when the country was fighting the ferocious second wave of coronavirus pandemic. Driven by the delta variant of coronavirus, the second wave of COVID-19 in India led to a phase where people witnessed a complete healthcare system breakdown. Scarcity of hospital beds to patients thriving for medical oxygen, the second wave of COVID-19 has given pictures to mankind that will be too hard to forget. As the country was in its mourning phase and slowly planning to get back to normalcy, the reports about Omicron surfaced from South Africa. However, the Omicron variant has some new characteristics changes compared to the delta variant which had driven the second wave in India.

Omicron Affects The Upper Respiratory Tract

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is currently present in over 110 countries, however, cases associated with it that have been reported so far are mostly mild, leading to manageable symptoms. The World Health Organisation in its latest report stated that the variant only causes mild symptoms because it usually affects the upper respiratory tract which includes the throat, nose, bronchi, etc. Thus the symptoms are mostly runny nose, congestion, sore throat. "We are seeing more and more studies pointing out that Omicron is infecting the upper part of the body. Unlike the one strain, that could cause severe pneumonia," WHO Incident Manager Abdi Mahamud quoted as saying.

Delta variant which had triggered the second wave of COVID-19 in India, directly damages the lungs, and thus the symptoms associated with this strain are mostly severe pneumonia, lungs infection, breathing issues, drop in oxygen levels, etc. Therefore, when symptoms are compared, delta causes less severe illnesses than the Omicron variant.

Upper Respiratory Symptoms In Omicron Infected Individuals

The Omicron variant causes mild symptoms, but that doesn't mean it can not damage any organs in the body. Omicron too can damage your respiratory tract and thus it can lead to some symptoms which need to be taken into cognizance as early as possible. Some of the symptoms are:

1. A runny nose
2. Sore throat
3. Scratchy throat
4. Nasal congestion
5. Dry cough
6. Headache
7. Lower back pain
8. Muscle ache
9. Loose motion
10. Vomiting
11. Extreme fatigue
12. Sneezing
13. Change in the skin colour around the lips and nails

Though Omicron symptoms are easily manageable, experts are cautioning that nobody should take this lightly. "We should definitely not take Omicron lightly because a few fractions of the patents ill definitely become sick. We are already seeing a rise in hospitalisations. People who are already suffering from underlying health issues such as uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, bronchitis, or asthma, are more prone to catch the virus and experience the severe symptoms of this variant," Dr. VK Singh, Manipal Hospital told TheHealthSite.com.

Some of The Most Common Symptoms of COVID

Be it the Delta variant or the Omicron variant, getting infected by the coronavirus can wreck havoc on the body. once it enters the body, it can damage a lot of important cells and thus cause major health issues. Never ignore these common symptoms of COVID-19:

1. Fever
2. Brain fogging
3. Loss of smell and taste
4. Diarrhea
5. Dizziness
6. Skin issues
7. Difficulty in breathing
8. Chest pain