Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, different variants of SARs-CoV-2 virus have emerged and they brought with them their distinct symptoms. A new strain also meant changing symptoms and now, a new symptom is becoming increasingly prominent. Let’s find out.
Ever since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the different strains of SARs-CoV-2 virus have shown different kinds of symptoms. What made Covid particularly challenging for doctors to handle was the fact that it had a unique range of symptoms and affected different people differently. The severity also varied. While the Alpha and Delta variants (especially the latter) created havoc, the emergence of the Omicron variant has seen the symptoms become milder.
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Top symptom of Covid-19
When the pandemic began (Alpha and Delta variants), fever, cough, loss of sense of smell and taste, and chest pain were some of the most common symptoms. While fever is a common symptom of many illnesses, a loss of sense of smell and taste particularly meant sure-shot Covid in most cases, in the beginning. But after vaccination and the emergence of Omicron, the symptoms mostly mimicked common flu symptoms – sore throat, runny nose, headache, and fatigue.
According to several news reports, currently, it’s another symptom that has become most common for coronavirus – Myalgia, or muscle pain. According to Zoe Covid Study App – which has been tracking Covid-19 symptoms from the start – Myalgia is now a top Covid symptom. It was earlier considered an initial symptom of coronavirus.
What is Myalgia?
Myalgia is muscle pain and you might feel the sensation of a sore muscle, like the one you get after exercising after a long time. Reports say that inflammatory molecules released by immune cells in response to the virus lead to muscle pain in Covid-19. With the coronavirus, you might feel pain mainly in the shoulders and legs and it can be quite distressing. Sometimes, it can be so bad that it affects your daily duties too.
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News reports quote South African Doctor Angelique Coetzee – who had first detected the Omicron variant- saying that myalgia is likely to affect people who are unvaccinated more intensely. But those who have been vaccinated also can feel it. When Omicron emerged in 2021, Myalgia was considered a prominent symptom.
Meanwhile, India has recorded 188 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases have declined to 2,554, according to Union health ministry data updated on Thursday (January 5, 2023). Earlier on Wednesday, the World Health Organization has said that the data submitted by China shows Omicron subvariants BA.5.2 and BF.7 are predominant that are accounting for 97.5 per cent of all local infections.
(Disclaimer: The article is based on general information and is not a substitute for a medical expert’s advice. )
