Symptoms of the Omicron BA.2 variant that is ruling the world

Experts have known about BA.2 since November 2021 but are still learning how it works and how patients will develop.

BA.2 often presents like a cold

Dr Erica Johnson, an internist at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center (USA), said: “To date, BA.2 has shown similarity in symptoms and severity to the parent strain BA. .1 of Omicron variant“.

Patients with milder forms of BA.2 usually have cough, fever, fatigue, runny nose, gastrointestinal problems, headaches, and skin rashes. Those symptoms are quite similar to colds or other seasonal viruses.

Artwork: Southernent

Dr. Jennifer Lighter, pediatric infectious disease specialist, shared, more patients infected with BA.1 have upper respiratory symptoms (cough, runny nose, sore throat) than previous strains such as Delta (usually cause lower respiratory symptoms such as a deep cough or difficulty breathing). BA.2 also seems to target the upper respiratory tract but has so far been unconfirmed.

Of course, people infected with BA.2 are also at risk of getting worse. People should look out for emergency warning signs such as persistent pain, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing.

The empirical evidence to date shows that BA.2, like BA.1, tends to be less likely to cause serious illness. That has something to do with vaccinations that help reduce the odds of getting sick.

So health officials expressed cautious optimism. Dr. Anthony Fauci, America’s leading infectious disease expert, predicts that, although BA.2 can cause an increase in the number of patients, the number of hospitalizations is difficult to increase. Proof of this is that the UK has just experienced an increase in the number of patients but not many more severe cases.

Even mild cases can be severe

When using the term “mild” to describe an illness, doctors mean it’s not serious enough to require hospitalization. “mild” symptoms of BA.2 can keep you from doing certain things for days or weeks. It is also possible that even a mild case can lead to post-Covid-19 syndrome.

It is still important to get tested if you have any symptoms. That’s necessary even if you’ve had a vaccination, booster shot, or just recovered from Covid-19. Experts usually say you’re well protected for at least 90 days, but reinfection still happens.

Experts hope, BA.2 will not cause the number of hospitalizations and deaths to spike even if the regulations are relaxed. The reason is that many people are vaccinated now.

An Yen (According to Huffpost)