Coronavirus: This is the worst omicron symptom due to rising BA.5 variant

Daily reported cases COVID-19 cases are rising with the new BA.5 strain becoming the dominant omicron subvariant. The newer sub variants can evade immunity despite vaccination or previous infections.

Even those people who were previously infected with sub variants BA.1 and BA.2 are at a risk of reinfection from variants BA.4 and BA.5. While BA.5 strain is fast-spreading, it appears to be less severe compared to the early versions of the coronavirus.

The BA.4 and BA.5 symptoms look similar to previous omicron sub variants. People recover faster and most of the infections aren’t as severe as earlier COVID-19 strains. If a serious case develops, the symptoms may become more painful and uncomfortable.

The worst symptom of new omicron sub variants is a severely sore throat. Few months ago, we may have neglected a scratchy throat, but now it can be identified as one of the most common early signs of omicron.

Like other variants of omicron, BA.5 also seems to primarily affect the upper respiratory tract, according to experts at the University of Colorado. Symptoms like a sore throat and nasal congestion are a sign that the virus has infiltrated the nose and airways. However, omicron is less likely to affect the lungs compared with past variants.

If you have a painful throat, consult your doctor for pain relieving medication. Since the sore throat is a symptom of COVID-19, it is important to get yourself tested and isolate yourself so as to not infect anybody else. Take appropriate rest, eat healthy home-cooked meals and stay hydrated. Home remedies such as gargling with salt water, drinking lukewarm water or tea with honey can also help relieve the pain.

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An April 2022 study published in the BMJ journal has found that sore throat is more common during omicron variant than delta wave. COVID-19 patients infected with the omicron variant were also found to be 24% more likely to develop a hoarse voice, compared to those with delta variant.

Those infected during the omicron wave were about half as likely to display at least one of the three classic COVID-19 symptoms – fever, loss of smell, and persistent cough – than people infected with the delta variant.

The study also found that patients infected during the omicron wave were 25% less likely to be hospitalized than patients infected during high delta prevalence. Omicron infected patients were also 2.5 times more likely to recover within one week compared to patients infected with delta.

Apart from sore throat, other most common omicron symptoms experienced include cough, fatigue, congestion and runny nose. These symptoms are some like allergy-related symptoms, compared to past COVID-19 variant symptoms. This is because the immune system is able to fight the virus at its entry points, which is usually the nasal area.

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Getting infected with Coronavirus or getting vaccinated teaches our immune system to respond to the virus without overwhelming the body. It also prevents the virus from penetrating deeper in the lungs. Just as the virus is adapting with newer variants, so are our bodies. So, a new variant does not necessarily mean things will get worse. The fewer number of severe cases and hospitalization shows that our immune system is getting smarter on how to fight this deadly infection.