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Coronavirus

21st Dec 2021

Most common first Omicron symptom reportedly found in 90 per cent of new cases

Kieran Galpin

Unvaccinated people are said to experience more intense symptoms like headaches and myalgia

In a bid to better prepare the public in the continued fighting against Omicron, scientists have revealed the first symptom found in 90 per cent of new cases.

The one consistency across our time living with covid has been the symptoms. For two years, they have been ingrained into us, with the most common being a new continuous cough, a high temperature and of course, the loss of taste and smell.

Despite the Delta variant following suit, Omicron brings a whole new symptom from the ever-growing Pandora’s Box that is covid.

According to the American Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 89 per cent of new cases experience a “scratchy throat”, with other early symptoms including fatigue, congestion and a runny nose.

South African doctor Angelique Coetzee, who discovered the variant, has said that unvaccinated patients in particular experience more intense symptoms, like headaches and myalgia.

This comes amid potential plans for a circuit breaker lockdown after Christmas, with the most common date being reported as December 28. However, nothing has been confirmed by government officials yet.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid did, however slam the unvaccinated.

He told Sky News that: “I just cannot emphasise enough the impact they are having on the rest of society.

“They must really think about the damage they are doing to society… they take up hospital beds that could have been used for someone with maybe a heart problem, or maybe someone who is waiting for elective surgery.”

He added: “They are really having a damaging impact and I just can’t stress enough, please do come forward and get vaccinated.”

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