The latest coronavirus strain sweeping the nation has an odd symptom that only reveals itself at night, scientists have confirmed.
Scientists battling to get a grip on the Omicron BA.5 variant say the constantly mutating disease now exhibits an unusual and rather distinct characteristic.
According to Professor Luke O'Neil form Trinity College Dublin, the new strain can now cause night sweats.
“There is some immunity to it ... and that mix of your immune system and the virus being slightly different might give rise to a slightly different disease, strangely enough night sweats being a feature,” he told Irish radio station Newstalk.
“But very importantly, if you are vaccinated and you’re boosted, it doesn’t progress into severe disease is the message to keep reminding people".
Being a relatively new discovery, these night sweats are yet to be included in the official NHS list of symptoms, as the UK topped 205,000 deaths earlier this month.
On a more positive note, if you contract this new strain you are now 20 to 50 per cent less likely to suffer with Long Covid, according to the Zoe Covid study group.
Dr Claire Steves from King’s College London said: “The Omicron variant appears substantially less likely to cause Long Covid than previous variants but still 1 in 25 people who catch Covid go on to have symptoms for more than four weeks.
“Given the numbers of people affected it is important that we continue to support them at work, at home and within the NHS.”
Want to get the latest health news direct to your inbox? Sign up for the Mirror Health newsletter HERE
Where has BA.5 been found?
It was first noticed in South Africa back in February this year, a mere month after another strain of Omicron called BA.4 was found.
It seems to be spreading very rapidly, more than other variants.
BA.5 rapidly became the prominent strain in the US, and is already the most dominant variant in Portugal and the UK.
It has reached most European countries, and Australia has also reported rising cases.
Is BA.5 vaccine-resistant?
Scientists say the vaccine will still make your symptoms much less severe than if you are unvaccinated.
Research so far has found that this strain is not more likely to make you seriously ill, and this is directly due to more people being vaccinated, boosted or naturally infected.
However, it does appear to be able to infect people even if they have recently had other types of Omicron, only weeks prior.
What are the main symptoms of Omicron BA.5?
-
Cough
-
Fatigue
-
Congestion or runny nose
-
Runny nose
-
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
-
New loss of taste or smell
-
Fever or chills
-
Nausea or vomiting
-
Muscle or body aches
-
Diarrhoea
-
Headache
