The symptoms of the Omicron mutation, its differences from the Delta variant and the recommendations for the use of an enhanced protection mask were extensively mentioned by the professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and member of the Committee of Experts Vana Papaevangelou during the briefing on Thursday, December 30 in Greece.
As the professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases said, today we have more data with the Omicron variant.
It differs significantly from previous executives. It is a virus with extremely high transmissibility that spreads much more easily and that is why we use a high protection mask or a double mask.
Also, the incubation time is significantly shorter and according to studies the duration of the disease from the Omicron variant is shorter, so the isolation and quarantine instructions were revised.
The symptoms of Omicron
The Omicron variant, as Mrs. Papaevangelou said, also differs in the clinical picture, since it is manifested more often with:
- catarrh,
- headache
- fatigue,
- sneezing,
- sore throat and
- less often patients experience loss of smell and taste, cough and high fever.
Do not ignore the symptoms of the common cold
The strong recommendation is not to ignore the symptoms of the common cold, but to proceed with either a self-diagnostic or a laboratory test.
Although the symptoms are milder, we can not be complacent, said Mrs. Papaevangelou and this, because the hospitals are still overcrowded with almost 4.000 patients being treated in the territory and fullness that reaches 53% in single beds and 88% in ICUs covid, with 91% in Attica and 96% in Thessaloniki.
"We will have to wait a little longer in Greece," he said, to see if the pandemic wave is characterized by many cases but few hospitalizations, as in the United Kingdom, he noted.
The triple vaccinated are protected
The data to date confirm the initial predictions that those who have been fully vaccinated in three doses are largely protected against severe Omicron disease. However, in Greece we have about 380.000 over the age of 60 who have not even taken the first dose, while another 100.000 citizens, although they have been closed for more than 6 months since the second dose, have not taken a booster dose. The good news is that of the latter, at least 6 in 10 have scheduled a third-dose vaccination appointment.
"Those who are not vaccinated should realize that vaccination is now more of a one-way street than ever before, and those with mobility are almost 100% more likely to catch the virus," she said.
"The milder it seems from the data that the Omicron variant is, the risk remains important for older people," said Ms. Papaevangelou.
Source: CNN.gr