GENEVA: Following reports that Omicron displays symptoms similar to a normal cold, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a statement on Wednesday stating that it is not a regular cold and should not be dismissed.

According to a study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cough, weariness, congestion, and runny nose are the four most prevalent symptoms of the Omicron variety. The Zoe Covid app, headquartered in the United Kingdom, recently added nausea and loss of appetite to the list of symptoms.

Several studies from South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom have found that the highly transmissible variant causes mild illnesses that require less hospitalisation. In a tweet, WHO epidemiologist Dr Maria Van Kerkhove stated, "Omicron is not the common cold." "While some studies show that Omicron has a lower chance of hospitalisation than Delta, there are still far too many people infected, unwell, and dying from Omicron (and Delta)," she added.

According to reports, the Omicron variant has claimed the lives of 14 people in the United Kingdom, one in the United States, and one in South Korea. Unvaccinated people were the ones that died the most. "Omicron isn't your average cold! Health-care systems might get overburdened "Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO's head scientist, stated on Twitter.

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