Top 20 'surprising' Omicron symptoms including brain fog and feeling down

Research has revealed the top 20 common Omicron symptoms with several outside the usual mould.

Delta marked a shift in Covid symptoms away from the 'classic' ones like fever, cough and loss of taste or smell, reports the ZOE Covid Study app.

Cold-like symptoms have become more common with the Delta variant and Omicron has continued that trend, wrote Professor Tim Spector, the app's co-creator in a blog for GPs.

Spector says signs of Omicron can vary from a runny nose to brain fog and eye soreness since the virus has evolved.

ZOE has been tracking Covid symptoms since March 2020 as users have submitted 480 million reports.

The epidemiologist shared the top 20 symptoms of Omicron being reported.

Despite the cold-like nature of Omicron, Spector warns: "It's important to remember that while Omicron and Delta may feel like a cold to many of us, it can still kill or cause long-term symptoms that disrupt daily life, especially for people who have not been vaccinated or are immunocompromised."

The top Omicron symptoms vary from feeling down to skipping meals (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

ZOE's researchers from King's College London compared data from when Delta was the main variant in October to reports in December as Omicron surged.

Their analysis found no difference in the symptoms between Delta and Omicron.

The top five symptoms for both are: runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing and a sore throat.

Nonetheless, some symptoms are just more prevalent in Omicron infections and Spector said they found 'clear differences' in the new variant's symptoms.

Prof Spector concluded: "Finally, regardless of the government guidelines, whether you have COVID or not, it’s best to stay at home if you're feeling ill with strange or cold-like symptoms, and to avoid contacts and wear a mask if you do go out, to avoid spreading your germs to others who may be more vulnerable."

Top 20 Omicron symptoms

Listed by prevalence per the ZOE COVID app

1. Runny nose
2. Headache
3. Any fatigue
4. Sneezing
5. Sore throat
6. Persistent cough
7. Hoarse voice
8. Other
9. Chills or shivers
10. Fever
11. Dizzy/light headed
12. Brain fog
13. Altered smell
14. Eye soreness
15. Unusual muscle pains
16. Skipped meals
17. Loss of smell
18. Chest pain
19. Swollen glands
20. Feeling down

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