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Omicron or cold: How to tell the difference

Covid-19 cases are spiking in eastern Australia. So how do you tell the difference between the common cold and Omicron?

Worst phrases from 2021 include pandemic terms

Omicron cases are climbing and experts have said that symptoms are likely to differ from the three traditional Covid-19 symptoms.

Alongside the worry of being infected with Covid, many people are also likely to suffer with a cold.

The classic three common symptoms of Covid-19 include a new persistent cough, a high temperature and a loss of taste and smell, The Sun reports.

A colourised scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (green) heavily infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (purple). Picture: AFP
A colourised scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (green) heavily infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (purple). Picture: AFP

But experts say the symptoms caused by Omicron are more like colds.

Bugs and infections are everywhere and it’s important that you’re able to distinguish between colds and Covid.

But with UK data showing that close to a quarter of people with a cold actually have Covid - how can you do that?

Virologist and Professor of Molecular Oncology, Professor Lawrence Young said people logging their symptoms in the UK had described cold-like symptoms, rather that the classic trio of Covid symptoms.

“So it’s slowly turning into a more symptomatic milder condition that just looks like a severe cold for many people.

“There does seem to be an overlap with cold symptoms and there is an estimation from data that a quarter of people who have colds actually have Covid.

“They do overlap but it seems that the onset of a cold is a bit more gradual. But with Omicron people get headaches and fatigue rapidly if they have Covid.”

He urged people to get tested if they had any symptoms.

Clinical observations coming out of South Africa, where the Omicron variant is widespread, shows that there are five symptoms in particular that people should be looking out for.

These are: a scratchy throat, mild muscle aches, extreme tiredness, a dry cough and night sweats.

Covid or flu or cold

Department of Health information states that people with Covid can expect fever and a cough. They may at times experience a sore throat, shortness of breath, fatigue, aches and pains, headaches and a runny nose. Diarrhoea is rare and sneezing is not considered a symptom.

People with colds can expect coughs, sore throats, headaches, running nose and sneezing. Fever is rare. Shortness of breath, aches and pains and diarrhoea are not considered symptoms.

People with flu can expect fever, cough, fatigue, aches and pains and headaches. Runny nose and sore throat can happen. Shortness of breath and sneezing and not considered symptoms.

Get a test

It’s important that if you have any symptoms you get a test and isolate in order to stop the spread of the virus.

The similarity of the symptoms mean some people are missing infections, writing it off as a cold or a flu.

Experts say the best way to protect yourself from Omicron is to get your booster vaccine.

- with The Sun

Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/omicron-or-cold-how-to-tell-the-difference/news-story/4654596e1cb3a35dc5c480db16a3af7f