– Their symptoms were so different and so mild compared to those I have treated before, says the South African doctor.
The South African doctor Angelique Coetzee was the very first doctor to notify the South African authorities about patients with the omicron variant.
To the British newspaper The Telegraph says Coetzee that she discovered that more patients were starting to come in with symptoms that were not consistent with those commonly associated with coronary heart disease.
Also read: We know this about how well protected we are from the new virus mutant
She says that among other things, several young people, with different backgrounds and ethnicities, showed intense fatigue.
– Their symptoms were so different and so mild compared to those I have treated before, the doctor says to the newspaper.
Known coronary symptoms:
- Those who become ill usually first experience symptoms from the upper respiratory tract (sore throat, cold, mild cough), as well as malaise, headaches and muscle aches.
- Abdominal pain occurs, in some cases diarrhea. Impaired sense of taste and smell is characteristic of the disease, but probably occurs in a minority of those infected.
- Some people develop more severe symptoms such as wheezing, chest pain and confusion.
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A six-year-old child came in with a very high fever as well, she says.
– We received a very interesting case, which was a six-year-old child, with a very high fever and high pulse. I was wondering if I should put the child in, but when I followed her up two days later, the shape was much better, says the doctor.
Goetzee says that although all of her patients are healthy, she is concerned that the new variant may affect the elderly with underlying disease.
– What we have to worry about now is that when older unvaccinated people are infected with the new variant, and they are not vaccinated, we will see more people with a serious course of the disease, she says.
Omikron
- Omicron is a new mutation of the coronavirus.
- It was first discovered in South Africa on November 24.
- The sample that proved the new variant was taken as early as 9 November this year.
- It is still uncertain exactly how contagious this variant is, but more studies are underway.
- It is also uncertain how much effect vaccines have on the omicron mutation.
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Also read: Breeds by restrictions: – South Africa is punished for having discovered a new variant
– Know very little yet
The National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) said on Saturday that they are working hard to complete and quality assure a risk report on the omicron variant, but that it will not be ready until Sunday.
On Thursday, the section leader for influenza and other airborne infections in FHI, Karoline Bragstad, told Nettavisen that they are closely following the new mutation, but that so far little is known about it.
– B.1.1.529 [nå døpt omikron] is really a modified version of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. We still know very little about the new variant, and so far it has been proven in very few cases. Nevertheless, it has been proven in various places in South Africa, and this may indicate that it is more widespread there than we are aware of now, writes section leader in FHI, Karoline Bragstad, in an e-mail to Nettavisen.
– The variant has very many mutation changes, and many of these in an important Spike protein. We have found several of the changes in other variants of concern in the past, so this version of the coronavirus is very special. The fact that the virus has so many changes does not necessarily mean that the virus will have an infectious advantage, perhaps on the contrary, says the FHI expert.
Also read: Fauci: Omikron may have already arrived in the United States
Discovered in several European countries
Since the first reports of the omicron variant came on Thursday, there have been top-notch cases of infection in several countries. On Saturday, it became known that omicron infections have been discovered in the UK, Germany and Italy.
The very first known case of the omicron variant was discovered in Botswana on 11 November.
Infections from Belgium, Hong Kong, Israel and South Africa are already known.
Several countries have already introduced entry restrictions for travelers coming from several countries in southern Africa. Norway did this on Friday. The countries concerned are South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
People who come to Norway from these countries must be quarantined for ten days, at least three of them in quarantine hotels. This also applies to fully vaccinated.
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