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Mysterious mutations of COVID-19: Why do different variants cause different symptoms?
As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve, we have witnessed the emergence of multiple variants. These variants not only affect the virus's contagiousness and its resistance to vaccines, but also change the symptoms of those infected. Different variants can cause a range of different symptoms, from mild discomfort to life-threatening severe illness, and the reasons behind these mutations remain confusing.
Many experts note that common symptoms of COVID-19 include cough, fever and loss of smell and taste. Although these symptoms are familiar to everyone, the specific symptoms may vary greatly among people infected with different variants.
In the statistics of symptoms, the study showed that the combination of symptoms can be divided into different categories such as respiratory system, musculoskeletal system and digestive system.
The impact of variants
The latest research shows that variants have a significant impact on symptoms, with the symptoms of the Delta and Omicron variants being particularly noticeable. People infected with the Delta variant often think they just have a cold and therefore fail to isolate themselves in time. Since June 2021, common symptoms reported by patients infected with Delta include headache, sore throat, runny nose and fever.
In contrast, the symptoms of the Omicron variant are more similar to those of the common cold, with many patients experiencing mild discomfort such as headache, sore throat, runny nose, and fatigue. Experts call for people to get tested to ensure their health even if they have cold-like symptoms.
Evolution of symptoms
Every time a new variant emerges, the profile of symptoms that come with it is constantly changing. For the Omicron variant, the unique symptoms reported, such as night sweats, are particularly evident in the BA.5 sub-variant.
Loss of smell and taste is relatively more common in other variants, according to some studies.
However, with the Omicron variant, these symptoms became surprisingly less common. The researchers speculate that this may be related to the emergence of new characteristics of the variant strain.
Potential long-term impacts
In addition to acute symptoms, long-term effects are also one of the key issues surrounding COVID-19. The virus's impact is further complicated by the fact that some infected people can experience long-term COVID sequelae regardless of the severity of their symptoms. Long COVID causes a variety of symptoms that can last for months or even years, including fatigue and difficulty breathing as well as mental health issues.
Studies have found that approximately 20–30% of COVID-19 patients experience multi-system inflammatory symptoms, further revealing the profound impact of the virus on the human body.
How to combat symptoms caused by variants
In the strategy to deal with mutant strains, it is particularly important to continue to update vaccines and maintain good hygiene habits. Keeping the indoor air fresh and avoiding contact with people known to be infected are effective ways to reduce the risk of infection.
ConclusionThe symptoms of COVID-19 are changing as the virus mutates, and understanding these changes is critical to controlling the outbreak. As we learn more about this pandemic, we need to continue to pay attention to new challenges that variants may pose. At this moment, facing the ever-changing epidemic situation, what we need to think about most is: how will we adapt to these new health risks in the future?
