how is omicron different from delta?
the omicron subvariant currently driving the seventh wave of the pandemic is not like last year’s delta variant, according to a recent u.k. study.
according to the
zoe health study, most people infected with omicron can expect a sore throat and a hoarse voice, unlike the cough, fever and headache
commonly seen with delta — although these symptoms can still happen. omicron infection also seems to be less severe than delta, with a lower likelihood of hospitalization and a shorter duration of symptoms which last an average of 6.87 days, compared to the 8.89 days that has been reported with delta.
the study also found that the loss of smell, which according to one study
affected just over 40 per cent of patients, is now being seen in just under 20 per cent of cases, and often days after the start of symptoms.
the research, which was supported by grants from the u.k. government department of health and social care, tested people in the u.k. who were vaccinated during the period when the delta variant was dominant (june 1 and november 27, 2021) and from dec. 20, 2021 to jan. 17, 2022, when omicron became the common variant. besides the differences in length and symptoms found by comparing 62,002 positive tests, researchers also reported that, unlike delta, omicron was less likely to affect the respiratory tract, which has been linked to more severe symptoms.