Distinguishing symptoms of Omicron, Delta, cold, flu
The signs of the Omicron, Delta variant gradually decrease as the virus evolves, becoming more and more like a cold.
Infected personOmicron,Delta, colds, and flu have many similar symptoms. So regardless of your symptoms, it's best to get tested for SARS-CoV-2.
If your test result is positive, self-isolate. If your test result is negative but you still feel sick, stay away from other people to avoid spreading diseases.
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| People infected with Covid-19 rarely have a high fever like the flu. Illustration: Femina |
Omicron variant
The doctor who first warned about Omicron said the variant causes symptoms different from the classic signs of Covid-19.
Dr Angelique Coetzee, President of the South African Medical Association, said the main symptoms of Omicron are fatigue, body aches and headaches. To date, the patient has not experienced loss of smell or taste.
Experts at the Covid-19 Symptom Research app found that people who tested positive for Omicron were experiencing cold-like symptoms, including sneezing.
Night sweats are also an important sign of Omicron, says Dr. Amir Khan.
Delta Variant
Delta was the dominant strain of SARS-CoV-2 in many countries before being replaced by Omicron. As the number of cases increased, evidence emerged that Delta's symptoms were different from the original strain.
According to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), cough and loss of smell are not common in Delta.
Covid-19 symptoms gradually decrease as the SARS-CoV-2 virus evolves.
The sub-variant of Delta (AY.4.2) accounts for around 15% of cases in the UK and is less symptomatic, with only 67% of people infected with AY.4.2 showing symptoms compared to 76% of those infected with Delta.
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| Comparing the symptoms of Covid-19 in general with those of colds and flu |
Flu
Most people are familiar with the flu. It is similar to Covid-19, although it is caused by different viruses.
Data shows that people with flu do not lose their sense of smell or taste like people with the original strain of Covid-19.
According to the World Health Organization, seasonal influenza is characterized by sudden onset of high fever, cough (usually dry), headache, muscle and joint pain, severe fatigue, sore throat, and runny nose.
Have a cold
Common cold symptoms include stuffy or runny nose, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, cough, sneezing, fever, ringing in the ears, loss of taste/smell.
But colds usually don't cause a sudden fever like the flu. Patients may have more nasal congestion.
Data shows that 25% of people with cold symptoms actually have Covid-19.
