{"id":16264,"date":"2023-08-10T19:50:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-10T19:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/covid-omicron-variant-what-you-need-to-know\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T07:15:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T07:15:08","slug":"covid-omicron-variant-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/covid-omicron-variant-what-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID Omicron Variant: What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>What is it?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: black; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Omicron variant, detected in South Africa in November 2021, is the latest among the COVID-19 variants. Omicron spreads faster than most of the <\/span><strong>SARS-CoV-2 virus<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> infections. It increased the load on the medical infrastructures of countries. Presently, Omicron contributes to most new <\/span><strong>SARS CoV 2<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> infections. Although Omicron is known to cause milder disease, the symptoms can be significantly severe in individuals with previous infections and co-morbidities.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: black; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mutation is a natural property of viruses. Each new strain of virus differs from others in severity and transmissibility. This explains the fast spread of Omicron infection compared with other <\/span><strong>COVID-19 variants<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Omicron has over 50 mutations that make it less susceptible to the existing vaccines. It does not undermine the need for vaccination. Vaccination reduces the spread of Coronavirus infections and reduces the severity of symptoms in infected people.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Symptoms of Omicron COVID Variant&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: black; text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Omicron variant<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, detected in South Africa in November 2021, is the latest among the <a href=\"https:\/\/srlworld.com\/covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">COVID-19<\/a> variants. The <\/span><strong>symptoms<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of <\/span><strong>a new variant of corona<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are similar to those caused by previous strains. The severity and type of symptoms depend upon the individual&rsquo;s vaccination status, age, and presence of other health conditions. The history of the past coronavirus infection is also a crucial factor affecting the severity of infections. The following symptoms can be present with varying degrees of severity in patients with Omicron infection:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sore throat with scratchiness<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nasal congestion<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Breathing difficulty<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Low back pain<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Muscle pain<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fever<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chills<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cough<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feeling of tiredness<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"color: black; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The classic Coronavirus symptoms of loss of smell and taste are less common in patients with the <\/span><strong>new COVID variant<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> infection.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Testing for Omicron<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: black; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The RT-PCR (real-time reverse transcription&ndash;polymerase chain reaction) test is the gold standard among all testing options to detect Coronavirus variants, including Omicron. Experts suggest the genome sequencing method to achieve 100% success in detecting sub-variants of Omicron like BA.2. The <a href=\"https:\/\/srlworld.com\/package\/lucknow\/200019768\/covid-rt-pcr-with-advance-fever-panel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RT-PCR test<\/a> is the fastest and most precise alternative to other tests. It is the most extensively used laboratory test globally to detect the presence of coronavirus variants.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: black;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: black; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The RT-PCR test involves sample collection from the individual&rsquo;s throat or nose. The test separates the RNA component from the sample by using special chemicals. The RNA undergoes reverse transcription to form viral DNA. The RT-PCR machine creates multiple copies of DNA to detect fluorescence through several cycles. The total number of cycles to attain a specific level of fluorescence helps determine the severity of infection. The RT-PCR test ensures faster and more reliable results within a few hours without the possibility of contamination errors.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>How to prevent Omicron virus infection<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: black; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vaccination continues to be a valuable preventive measure against Omicron or other strains of coronavirus. <\/span><strong>Vaccines<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are also helpful for the reduction of the severity of COVID-19 infection. Thanks to the ongoing scientific research, we have many vaccines to reduce the chances of getting infected by the Omicron variant. Two doses of vaccines can offer effective immunity against multiple strains of COVID-19, including Omicron.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: black; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The following preventive steps are important despite vaccination with a booster dose:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Covering your nose and mouth<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: To protect yourself and those around you, wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A face mask is important while visiting public places. An N-95 Mask is advisable to get better protection because it effectively blocks the passage of coronavirus.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Hand hygiene<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Frequently washing hands with soap is a proper preventive measure to keep Omicron at bay. Avoid touching your nose and mouth to reduce the chances of infections.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Cleaning surfaces<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Sanitise doorknobs, steering wheel, tables, mobile phones, chairs, and other objects that you touch often. Make use of digital payment methods to avoid touching currency notes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Social distancing<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Wearing a mask does not mean you can mix with crowds. A six feet distance is crucial to reduce the possibility of coronavirus transmission.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Cost<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: black; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thanks to a considerable increase in the availability of test kits, the <\/span><strong>SARS COV-2 RT-PCR test cost<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is on the decline. The <\/span><strong>COVID test cost<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is less if you visit a nearby lab to give your swab sample instead of choosing a home collection service. You can find the test cost by searching for <\/span><strong>COVID-19 test cost near me<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The average <\/span><strong>COVID test cost in India<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> ranges between Rs 350\/- and Rs 500\/-.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: black; text-align: justify;\"><strong>Agilus Diagnostics, a subsidiary of Fortis Healthcare Limited<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Omicron variant, detected in South Africa in November 2021, is the latest among the COVID-19 variants.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16728,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[282],"tags":[411,614],"class_list":["post-16264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-covid-19","tag-covid-19","tag-covid-test"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16264"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16264\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16727,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16264\/revisions\/16727"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}