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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
Health
Malvika Padin & Sophie Buchan

Fainting spells linked to omicron and could be a new covid warning sign

There has been a lot of information over the last two years regarding covid and its symptoms.

This list has since grown as each variant has been identified with scientists and other health officials working to differentiate each strain and what it could mean for the individuals who are infected.

At present, some of the main symptoms of omicron include a scratchy throat, fatigue, muscle pain and runny nose.

Most recently, sneezing has also been linked to this particular variant according to the ZOE Covid study.

But as the list of symptoms continues to grow, a recent report from Berlin has identified yet another lesser-known sign of infection - but what does it mean?

According to a newspaper called Ärztezeitung, fainting spells could be an early warning sign of omicron.

Fainting is described as a temporary loss of consciousness and muscle control and is usually caused by low blood flow to the brain. But now Berlin doctors have found a link between covid infection and fainting spells, reports The Mirror.

It was said that in Berlin, a 35-year-old visited the emergency department for recurrent fainting spells and the man was found to have covid with infection triggering the fainting in this case.

The German newspaper reported that doctors saw "a clear connection" between the virus and the fainting spells.

This was also not the first time fainting was reported as a symptom of the virus, according to doctors, with the symptom commonly appearing in long-covid patients.

Research from Italy, Spain and Portugal further proved that from over 14,000 covid patients, 4.2% reported fainting or the feeling of impending unconsciousness in the early stages of infection.

The Mirror also reports that in addition to fainting, "some of the more unusual signs of the variant include congestion, brain fog, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, nausea or vomiting" with some reporting experiencing sleep paralysis and night sweats.

The CDC also warned that one symptom requires urgent medical attention, asking people to keep an eye out for pale, grey or blue-coloured skin, lips or nail beds, which could indicate low levels of oxygen in the blood.

People who are unvaccinated may also experience symptoms like headaches and sore muscles more intensely, according to Dr Anqelique Coetzee, who first raised the alarm on the new variant in southern Africa.

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