The omicron variant is still spreading throughout the United States, infecting children and adults alike. Recently, an expert highlighted one symptom that could signal an omicron variant infection in children.
The symptom: Dr. Andrew Pavia, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Primary Children’s Hospital in Utah, told The Sun that the omicron variant acts differently in children.
- “We are seeing the shift towards more disease in younger children; that probably has to do with changes in the virus.”
- The omicron variant “attacks the (upper) airways more than the lungs, and younger children have smaller airways.”
- A specific cough — one that sounds croup-like — is often an identifier that the child might have the omicron variant, according to The Sun.
More symptoms: Emma Duncan, a medical professor at King’s College London, recently told Insider that there are a number of COVID-19 symptoms that children might experience more than adults.
The top omicron variant symptoms for children — based on the ZOE COVID-19 study — include:
- Fatigue.
- Headache.
- Sore throat.
- Runny nose.
- Sneezing.
- Fever.
- Cough.
Duncan said that the COVID-19 vaccine might weaken the frequency and length of these omicron variant symptoms, but the data on that is still unclear.