What to Do If You Have Symptoms of OMICRON?
It was inevitable that we would face variants of Coronavirus, and now a variant of SARS-Cov-2 has been identified and named after the seventh letter in the Greek alphabet – Omicron. The very first case of Omicron in the UK was discovered on Nov 27 2021 and within only a month over a quarter of a million people have been infected. Approximately 130,000 Omicron cases have been reported in the UK today.
The spread of Omicron is expected to have a huge impact on the workforce of those who cannot work remotely, as many people will contract the illness and need to self-isolate for 10 days.
The symptoms of Omicron tend to be milder than in those infected with other variants especially in those who have been vaccinated. However, a new study from the UK also shows that the effectiveness of the booster shot may wear off after 10 weeks and a second booster may be required.
Despite the effects of Omicron being generally milder, it has still been shown to cause severe illness in some people and has even resulted in the death of a few individuals, so it is just as important to monitor the situation closely and try to prevent further spread of the Coronavirus.
New data shows that the symptoms caused by this variant are different and more varied, not just the three main ones that the government and NHS advise. Some people will be asymptomatic, whilst many others have reported symptoms very similar to the common cold so it may be hard to tell if you have it.
There are eight general symptoms to look out for which may be early indicators of an Omicron infection:
Headache
Fatigue
Sore throat
Runny nose or congestion
Night sweats
Sneezing
Body aches
Symptoms of Omicron can appear as soon as two days after exposure to someone who has it, but they can also appear much later, up to 14 days after exposure. This long period means that regular testing is recommended, especially if you feel that you have a combination of these symptoms listed above in order to help control the spread of Omicron. If your test result is positive, you must self-isolate for 10 days.
Even if you do not show any symptoms, it is advisable to get tested on a regular basis if you come into contact with large groups of people such as working in the public sector or traveling on public transport. It is also advisable to test yourself before meeting vulnerable members of the community who may be more at risk from catching Omicron such as elderly family members or neighbors. Here at PE Diagnostics, we offer a rapid antigen Lateral Flow home test kit that you can take in the comfort of your own home when you have time to do so. It makes testing easy and stress-free. These tests can also be taken before traveling to prove a negative test result.
For same-day results, you can book a PCR test with us, send us your sample that we will then courier to our of our government-registered test-to-release labs, and receive your result via email. All of the labs we partner with have been carefully by PExpo Diagnostics for their reliability, so you can trust us with your test results.
