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Covid-19: One Sign You May Have Omicron Could Show Up On Your Skin

A sign that you may have become infected with the COVID-19 Omicron variant may show up on your skin.

COVID-19

COVID-19

 Photo Credit: Photo by Viktor Forgacs on Unsplash
Joe Lombardi
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A ZOE study conducted in the United Kingdom analyzed thousands of reports of Omicron symptoms uploaded to an app by the British public.

The top five symptoms recorded were:

  • Runny nose,
  • Headache,
  • Fatigue (both mild or severe),
  • Sneezing,
  • Sore throat.

Loss of appetite and brain fog were both also reported as common symptoms in the survey.

A skin rash should also be considered as a key sign of COVID, according to a report in the Daily Express.

"The most common skin signs of Covid seem to be skin rashes and so-called Covid fingers and toes," the Daily Express said. "Covid fingers and toes, also referred to as chilblains, describe red and purple bumps on fingers and toes, which could feel sore."

An earlier ZOE report on COVID, published in September, said that, "Data from the COVID Symptom Study shows that characteristic skin rashes and ‘COVID fingers and toes’ should be considered as key diagnostic signs of the disease, and can occur in the absence of any other symptoms."

The report noted that "researchers discovered that 8.8% of people reporting a positive coronavirus swab test had experienced a skin rash as part of their symptoms, compared with 5.4% of people with a negative test result."

A survey following an outbreak of 111 confirmed or probable Omicron cases among mostly fully vaccinated guests at a Christmas party at a closed location in a restaurant in Oslo, Norway found symptoms surfaced at a relatively fast rate.

The party was held on Friday, Nov. 26, two days after one of the attendees returned from South Africa, where the Omicron strain was first detected in mid-November.

Detection of the outbreak came on Tuesday, Nov. 30, and the study showed that on average, most symptoms surfaced in a three-day window after exposure.

"Of the 111 respondents, 66 (59 percent) were confirmed cases (26 based on WGS and 40 based on PCR VOC screening) and 15 (14 percent) were probable cases (PCR-positive only)," according to survey findings. "One PCR-positive attendee was confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant."

Those who have been infected with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild to severe.

Symptoms may appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms, said the CDC, which currently lists these 11 symptoms for COVID-19:

  • Fever or chills,
  • Cough,
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing,
  • Fatigue,
  • Muscle or body aches,
  • Headache,
  • New loss of taste or smell.
  • Sore throat,
  • Congestion or runny nose.
  • Nausea or vomiting,
  • Diarrhea.

The list does not include all possible symptoms, the CDC said. 

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