Omicron sub-variant discussed by infectious disease expert
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If there’s one thing that experts know about the Omicron variant, it’s that this strain may commonly lead to under-the-radar COVID-19 symptoms that don’t always involve shortness of breath or loss of smell and taste. Experiencing an upset stomach has a host of other possible causes with experts still puzzled about its link to Omicron.
Gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhoea, stomach pains, feeling sick or losing your appetite have all been shown as major symptoms of Covid.
Research from the dedicated ZOE COVID Study app has revealed these to be synonymous symptoms of COVID-19.
But does a dodgy tummy entail an Omicron infection?
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Interestingly, there has been a sharp increase in the number of people reporting gastrointestinal symptoms according to the app dated mid-December 2021 through to January 2022.
This has been shown to follow roughly the same pattern seen during the winter wave a year ago.
Throughout the past two years, there has been changes in the patterns of symptoms being reported in the app as new variants have emerged and more of the population had one, two, three or even four doses of vaccine.
Gastrointestinal symptoms were a common hallmark of COVID-19 earlier on in the pandemic with the original version of the virus, as well as the Alpha and Delta variants.
However, when looking PCR test results reported from the app it was found that while a significant proportion of people reporting gastrointestinal symptoms tested positive, there was also an increase in the proportion of people with these symptoms who tested negative.
There was a similar pattern with lateral flow test results.
This analysis suggests that even though Omicron can be associated with gastrointestinal symptoms, the rates are not higher than previously seen in Delta, and one or more other types of tummy bug are likely to be going around in the population at the current time.
The norovirus for example is an extremely common condition occurring around the same time hence its nickname, the Winter Vomiting Bug.
Unfortunately, there is currently no way of testing whether people reporting gastrointestinal symptoms in the app are infected with the norovirus.
If you’re uncertain whether tummy issues are related to a potential COVID-19 sickness, you’re not the only one.
Research on the role of gastrointestinal symptoms on COVID spread during the pandemic has been surprising for most.
The more common symptoms relating to Omicron include a sore throat, muscle pain and skin rashes.
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