Coronavirus: As BA.5 subvariant spreads, here are the first signs of COVID to watch for

With the rise in Omicron cases, it is advisable to keep following the preventive measures in order to avoid getting infected. However, if you still catch the infection despite preventive measures, it is essential to be able to timely identify the early signs of the disease.

This will help you seek immediate treatment for a quick recovery and will also prevent you from spreading the infection to other people, with whom you may come in contact with.

Experts have found that this time, the symptoms could be associated more with the upper respiratory issues, as the virus tends to linger in nasal passages and other respiratory system parts above the lungs. They add that the severity and type of initial symptoms can vary from person to person.

Here are some of the typical early symptoms of Omicron BA.5 subvariant:

Fatigue in COVID-19 is another common early sign of COVID. This fatigue is unlike general feelings of being tired or sleepy. In this case, the infected person feels completely wiped out and extremely tired, despite getting enough rest and sleep.

It can create a hindrance in even routine tasks like climbing stairs, doing your work, studying, or any other routine chores. You may also experience brain fog due to fatigue, which creates problems in concentrating or remembering things.

COVID headaches are more common than the ‘classic’ symptoms of cough, fever and loss of smell. When compared with non-COVID headaches, researchers have found that COVID-19 headaches tend to be moderately to severely painful, feel ‘pulsing’, ‘pressing’ or ‘stabbing’, occur across both sides of the head rather than in one area, last for more than three days and are resistant to regular painkillers.

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A sore throat is an early symptom of COVID-19 infection due to Omicron at present. It usually appears in the first week of illness and it can feel extremely painful and uncomfortable in the initial few days. However, with the right medication and rest, it will get better with each day.

On average, a sore throat lasts for two to three days but can last longer in adults, to upto seven days. Researchers have found that almost half of people infected with COVID-19 will experience a sore throat.

A study by researchers at the University of Southern California has found that fever may be the first sign of a COVID infection in some cases. According to the study, the initial symptoms of COVID-19 are most likely a fever, followed by a cough and muscle pain.

Health experts have found that the high fever lasts for about three days, starts settling by the fourth day and then there is gradual remission between the fifth and seventh days.

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Issues with digestion could be one of the earliest signs of COVID infection for some people. It is therefore advised to not take symptoms like diarrhea for granted as you assume it could be happening from eating something improper.

However, it can also be a symptom of COVID, which is why it is best to not meet people or go to social gatherings till you are able to know for sure. According to an article from Emerson Health, if your digestive issues are followed by respiratory symptoms, there is a great chance these could be signs of a COVID infection.

Researchers have also found that COVID-19 patients will likely develop nausea and vomiting before diarrhea.