What are the 5 symptoms that 70% of people infected with Omicron experienced? [오미크론 Q&A]

As of 0:00 on the 27th, as of 00:00 on the 27th, the number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 recorded 14,518. In three days, the number of confirmed cases doubled.

On this day, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held a briefing and explained the characteristics and countermeasures of Omicron. Authorities emphasized that while there is no need to worry too much about the spread, it should not be overlooked. Let’s solve your questions about Omicron in the form of a Q&A.

―Omicron symptoms different from delta.

▷Omicron does not have specific symptoms that are different from existing mutations. However, the frequency of symptoms leading to severe symptoms is lower than that of the existing delta. According to the results of a British survey, the five most common symptoms of Omicron were runny nose, headache, weakness, sneezing, and sore throat. These five symptoms appeared in 60-70% of Omicron patients. Fever was 30% and loss of taste and smell was 19%, which was lower in Omicron than in Delta.

―Is it true that Omicron is concentrated in upper respiratory tract (nasal, pharyngeal, larynx) infections?

▷ That’s right. Compared to delta, Omicron has a lower degree of invasion and severity of lung tissue. It cannot be said that Omicron is more dangerous for infants and young children due to these upper respiratory tract infections.

– Is the risk lower than the seasonal flu?

▷ No. Omicron is more severe and more contagious than seasonal flu. However, the severity is definitely lower than that of Delta. Data from South Africa and the United Kingdom show that hospitalization rates for omicron are one-third to one-fifth lower than those for delta. This can also be confirmed in the recent domestic fatality rate data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

―Can a person who has been infected with COVID-19 be reinfected with Omicron mutation?

▷ It is possible. Because Omicron has a higher mutation rate than previous COVID-19 mutations, the reinfection rate is also high. This is because immune cells in the immune system recognize Omicron as a new virus and do not respond appropriately. However, it is understood that the severity of the infection is lowered when re-infection.

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