Omicron Symptoms In Kids: Children Infected With New COVID-19 Variant May Witness High Fever, Cough, Headache

The best way to stay safe from getting infected by the Omicron COVID-19 virus is to follow the pandemic protocols, such as wearing face masks properly, keeping the hands clean and maintaining social distancing.

First detected in South Africa, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is the most mutated version of the virus, which has over 50 mutations out of which 30 are there in its spike protein, enabling it to evade the vaccine-induced immunity. The highly transmissible variant of COVID-19 Omicron has started infected people across India, at a time when the country was already dealing with the loss of lives during the second wave of coronavirus that ravaged the world earlier this year, the arrival of this new variant is a reminder that COVID-19 is here to stay. Cases of the Omicron variant are rising all over the world. And according to the latest officials' report, children in South Africa have the highest number of cases of the variant. Some of these children have also shown mild to severe symptoms of the infection.

Symptoms of Omicron In Kids

In a latest report, experts from South Africa and the UK has stated that the Omicron variant is now targeting children as well. However, according to the doctors, the symptoms of Omicron can be different in everyone, while young people can experience extreme fatigue, acute muscle or body pain and chronic headache, the variant can show different symptoms. Here are some of those symptoms which you should be aware of: high fever, persistent cough, scratchy throat, fatigue, body aches, and headache. The doctor also said that unlike delta, so far patients have not reported a loss of smell or taste. Talking to the media, Dr Rudo Mathiva of Chris Hani Bargawanath Academic Hospital said, "The children who are coming here now are seeing moderate to severe symptoms. They need oxygen, supportive therapy and a longer hospital stay. They are getting sick more than before."

Some of the Common Symptoms of COVID-19 Infection

Apart from the symptoms listed above, some of the other common symptoms of coronavirus infection which no one should ignore are fever, chronic headache, loss of smell and taste, skin rashes, diarrhoea, body pain, fatigue and tiredness, etc.

Omicron Variant of COVID-19 All You Need To Know

A virus has an inherent capacity to mutate and form variants, in order to evade the immune responses and treatment methods. Omicron variant of COVID-19 which is also known as B1.1.529. is a highly mutated variant that has gone through some of the major changes in the spike protein (which enters the human tract) and receptor binding domain (the area that attaches itself to the cells of the human body). As discussed above, this new variant has 50 mutations, including 30 mutations in spike protein (as compared to 15 mutations in the Delta variant) and 10 mutations in the RBD region (as compared to 2 mutations in the Delta variant). All these changes in its spike protein and the new mutations makes this variant highly transmissible and contagious.

How To Stay Safe?

The best way to stay safe from getting infected by the Omicron COVID-19 virus is to follow the pandemic protocols, such as wearing face masks properly, keeping the hands clean and maintaining social distancing.

(With inputs from Agencies)