Omicron: Doctor reveals 'telltale sign at night' to confirm presence of variant

So far, the results have shown that Omicron causes less severe Covid-19 symptoms, compared to early variants of the virus. Two more studies from Britain published on Wednesday showed that Covid infections with Omicron are less likely to result in hospitalisation compared to the Delta variant.

The Omicron variant of coronavirus has left the world on tenterhooks, rapidly spreading across the globe and starting the surge on Covid-19 infections. The variant is highly mutated and believed to show a higher resistance to vaccines.

Passengers wait to board a Eurostar train at St Pancras International station in London. (AFP File Photo)

There are also worries about the effects of the new variant on human bodies. Since Omicron is a relatively new strain, research is still on to fully understand its behaviour.

So far, the results have shown that this new strain causes less severe Covid-19 symptoms, compared to early variants of the virus. Two more studies from Britain published on Wednesday showed that Covid infections with Omicron are less likely to result in hospitalisation compared to the Delta variant.

But a doctor in the United Kingdom has revealed a new Covid-19 symptom caused by the Omicron variant - really bad night sweats.

Dr Amir Khan, a physician with the UK’s National Health Service, told The Sun last week about the "telltale sign" - the sweats which are "those kind of drenching night sweats where you might have to get up and change your clothes”.

This is apart from scratchy throat, mild muscle aches, extreme tiredness and dry cough reported earlier to be associated with the Omicron variant.

Data coming out from South Africa, where the Omicron was first detected, shows that lower back pain could be another symptom.

Dr Ryan Noach, the CEO of South Africa-based Discovery Health, recently said that the most common early sign was a scratchy throat and most of these symptoms are mild.

The Omicron variant has been wreaking havoc in the United Kingdom, which reported 100,000 new daily cases for the first time on Wednesday. The United States is also battered by the fresh wave of infection, triggered by Omicron.

On Wednesday, the US authorised Pfizer's anti-Covid pill for high-risk people aged 12 and above. Paxlovid, which comprises two types of tablets, was granted an emergency use authorisation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after a clinical trial showed it to reduce the risk of hospitalisations and deaths among at-risk people by 88 per cent.