The UK might be learning to live with Covid after all restrictions came to an end last week. However, the virus is still continue to spread around the country.
The fast-spreading Omicron variant, which first became dominant last November, has now been overtaken by a new sub-variant Omicron BA.2, which has been dubbed stealth Omicron.
While the World Health Organisation (WHO) recently offered some hope that we might be at the end of the Covid crisis, reporting that the "global circulation of all variants" is declining, it seems we’re not at the end just yet with stealth Omicron has gained ground in the UK.
As the virus has evolved, different strains have presented with different symptoms. For instance, Omicron symptoms appeared to be quite different from the classic three signs - high temperature, new or continuous cough and loss of sense of taste/smell- that have been seen in other variants.
Here’s what you need to know about Stealth Omicron symptoms.
What are the main symptoms of stealth Omicron?
There is no official list of symptoms linked directly to the new stealth Omicron sub-variant.
However, some experts have noted that symptoms of this variant might be quite similar to the symptoms of the original Omicron strain - which has been known to cause cold-like symptoms, that usually clear within days.
According to expert and patient reports, Omicron infection causes symptoms including:
Scratchy throat
Mild muscle aches
Extreme tiredness
Dry cough
Night sweats
Runny nose
Headache
Loss of appetite
Diarrhoea
These symptoms are different from the NHS list which consists of the three traditional symptoms; cough, high temperature and loss or change to taste and smell.
This is because only half of those affected by Omicron have shown signs of the classic three symptoms, according to the ZOE COVID Study app.
What are two unusual signs of stealth Omicron?
Though stealth Omicron has been spreading across the globe, a lack of unique symptoms has made it hard for people to differentiate it from previous variants.
However, recent data collected by the Spokane Regional Health District, revealed that fatigue and dizziness are two symptoms that might enable people to distinguish the stealth sub-variant.
According to the health body’s health officer Francisco Velazquez, these two symptoms - which are not typically seen with other variants - have become increasingly common among patients infected with the stealth variant.
Fatigue and muscle pain have already been reported as early symptoms of the previous strain, by Dr Angelique Coetzee, who first alerted authorities to Omicron in South Africa back in November 2021.
Vertigo, or light-headedness, has also been added to the list of symptoms more prevalent in the BA.2 variant. If the vertigo is constant or intense, people are being urged to inform their healthcare professional and do further investigations.
