The omicron variant hasn’t gone away. In fact, the variant has continued to spread across the country, infecting adults and children alike.
The news: Emma Duncan, a medical professor at King’s College London, recently spoke with Insider about the most common omicron variant symptoms for children based on data from the ZOE COVID-19 study, which allows people to report their COVID-19 symptoms.
The top omicron variant symptoms for children include:
- Fatigue.
- Headache.
- Sore throat.
- Runny nose.
- Sneezing.
- Fever.
- Cough.
Extra details: Less common symptoms include intestinal issues, like diarrhea and rashes, Insider reports.
- She said vaccination might diminish the frequency and length of these omicron variant symptoms, but the data is still unclear.
The bigger picture: The omicron variant has been spreading faster among children compared to previous COVID-19 variants like the delta variant, Dr. Sam Dominguez, a pediatric infectious disease doctor at Children’s Hospital Colorado, told WCNC-TV.
- “Omicron is so much more transmissible than the delta variant that so many more children are getting exposed and infected that that results in an absolute more number of kids getting infected,” Dominguez said.
- “In children what we’re seeing is a croup-like presentation, and croup is really an inflammation of the upper airways as opposed to the lower airways, like your lungs,” Ahmed said.
One more note: I reported for the Deseret News that the omicron variant has led to a rise in severe COVID-19 symptoms and hospitalizations, mostly among children who are too young to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.