Doctor shares the ‘unusual but mild symptoms’ of Omicron

It’s the new Covid-19 variant that has put the world on edge, and a doctor treating some of the first patients has discovered some strange symptoms.

It’s the new Covid-19 variant that has put the world on edge, and it turns out that Omicron has some unusual, though mild, symptoms.

Dr Angelique Coetzee, the South African doctor who issued an alert about the Omicron variant B.1.1.529, said from her observations the symptoms are usually “mild” in healthy people.

However, she said she is concerned the elderly and unvaccinated could be at risk of complications.

Dr Coetzee believed she’d found a new strain of the virus when she began noticing patients at her practice in Pretoria didn’t have typical Covid symptoms.

“Their symptoms were so different and so mild from those I had treated before,” she told the UK’s Telegraph.

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A medical worker wearing protective equipment walks through a disinfection cabin. Picture: AFP

Dr Coetzee, who has been practising medicine for 30 years and is chair of the South African Medical Association (SAMA), said she called South Africa’s vaccine advisory committee on November 18 after a family of four with extreme fatigue tested positive to the virus.

She had treated more than 24 Covid patients – mostly young men from different backgrounds and ethnicities – who seemed to show symptoms of the new variant. Half were unvaccinated.”

While one common symptom of Covid-19 has always been a loss of taste and smell, none of Dr Coetzee’s patients experienced this.

“It presents mild disease with symptoms being sore muscles and tiredness for a day or two [and] not feeling well,” Dr Coetzee said.

“So far, we have detected that those infected do not suffer the loss of taste or smell. They might have a slight cough.

“There are no prominent symptoms. Of those infected, some are currently being treated at home.”

There was also a case of a six-year-old child with an extremely high pulse rate.

Dr Angelique Coetzee issued an alert over the new variant. Picture: SAMA

“We had one very interesting case, a kid, about six years old, with a temperature and a very high pulse rate, and I wondered if I should admit her,” Dr Coetzee said.

“But when I followed up two days later, she was so much better.”

However, Dr Coetzee is still concerned about how the new strain may affect the elderly and those with comorbidities.

“What we have to worry about now is that when older, unvaccinated people are infected with the new variant, and if they are not vaccinated, we are going to see many people with a severe [form of the] disease,” she said.

WHO issues Omicron warning

The World Health Organisation declared Omicron a “variant of concern” on Friday, with the strain showing a number of mutations that could make it more contagious than Delta.

It was first detected in Botswana and South Africa earlier this month. Since then it has also been found in the UK, Israel, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Belgium and Australia.

NSW Health has confirmed urgent genomic testing undertaken on Sunday showed two overseas travellers had the new Omicron B.1.1.529 Covid-19 variant.

Both passengers came to Sydney from southern Africa via Doha on the evening of Saturday, November 27. They underwent testing on arrival and tested positive for Covid-19 late Sunday night.

The two positive cases, who were asymptomatic and fully vaccinated, are in isolation in the Special Health Accommodation.

The two passengers were among 14 people from southern Africa who arrived on Qatar Airways QR908, Doha to Sydney.

The remaining 12 passengers from southern Africa are undertaking 14 days of hotel quarantine in the Special Health Accommodation.

Around 260 passengers and aircrew on the flight are considered close contacts and have been directed to isolate.

Travellers queue at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg after several countries banned flights from South Africa after the discovery of Omicron. Picture: Phill Magakoe/AFP

Urgent research into Omicron

The UN health agency said it could take several weeks to complete studies of the variant to see if there are any changes in transmissibility, tests and treatments.

On Friday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency and put a temporary halt on all elective surgeries in anticipation of hospitalisations.

With 32 mutations to its spike protein, Omicron is the most mutated form of the coronavirus found yet, and scientists have fears the mutations may allow it to evade vaccines and spread faster.

The Australian Government quickly announced new border security measures in response to Omicron and urged Australians to practice Covid-safe measures including good hand washing and cough and sneeze hygiene.

New border security measures are in place to protect Australians from Omicron COVID-19 variant. Read the details here: https://t.co/eey94Dczvepic.twitter.com/pS90JlFACR

— Australian Government (@ausgov) November 27, 2021