The five verified Omicron cases in India describe minor symptoms, contrary to what South African doctors who first dealt with Omicron patients said: “This variety has been producing symptoms that are different from earlier illnesses.” LNJP MP Dr Suresh Kumar told news agency ANI that the Tanzanian returnee who became India’s fifth Omicron patient and the first proven case of Delhi reported a sore throat, weakness, and bodily ache. The other international travellers admitted to LNJP after testing positive are mostly asymptomatic and stable.
Previous infections induced by Delta or other SARS-CoV-2 variations resulted in breathing problems, as well as loss of taste and smell. Despite the fact that Omicron is still under investigation and little is known about the variant, instances reported in India and other countries suggest that the symptoms are more akin to a common cold than the Covid-19 cases produced by other variants.
South African doctor Angelique Coetzee, chairperson of the South African Medical Association, was the first to disclose the strange symptoms of Omicron to the South African authorities. Scientists believe Omicron’s new trait is the outcome of its mutation. A piece of genetic material from another virus, most likely a common cold virus, may have given the variation a “more human” appearance.
The first Omicron case in India was asymptomatic and tested negative. He was a South African national who had already left the country. All Omicron patients have reported moderate symptoms, including a Bengaluru doctor with no foreign travel history, a Mumbai marine engineer who was not vaccinated, and a Gujarat NRI.
While these symptoms suggest that the variant isn’t causing serious sickness, scientists aren’t sure whether or not it’s more transmissible. Dr. Rakesh Mishra, director of the Tata Institute for Genetics and Society and former Chief of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Centre For Cellular And Molecular Biology, said that people are likely to confuse this with the common cold because there is no breathing difficulty or loss of smell or taste, which could help it spread faster.
