“Fears of Omicron XBB.1.5 Variant Surge and Covid-19 Symptoms: Insights from ZOE Health Study App”

Fears have grown as new outbreaks of the highly transmissible variant of omicron have caused a surge in cases in countries around the world.

There have been reports of the omicron XBB and XBB.1.5 relatives in several countries, including the UK, so British health officials have urged the adoption of Covid-19 vaccines and other protections against the virus.

Earlier this month, the UKHSA (United Kingdom Health Security Agency) advised Britons to stay home if they feel unwell or to wear a face mask when they go out in an effort to stem the risk of a new wave. from covid-19.

UKHSA then warned that covid-19 and flu are currently “circulating at high levels”, something that is likely to continue to increase in the coming weeks.

The XBB.1.5 variant of covid-19 is believed to be behind at least 4% of infections currently being sequenced. In October 2022, the WHO (World Health Organization) said that there was preliminary evidence suggesting that XBB has a higher risk of reinfection, compared to other circulating subvariants of omicron.

Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London and founder of the ZOE Health Study app, warned that the new omicron outbreak could be the new variant “to watch…in 2023.”

As covid-19 continues to circulate at high speed in the UK, the ZOE project analysisseen by The Independentreveals that in the 30 days to January 3, 2023, sore throat was the most common symptom reported by participants.

The ZOE app allows infected people to report their symptoms through an app while they are supposedly infected with the virus in order to gain a better understanding of covid-19 and its evolution. The data submitted is then analyzed by King’s College London, which tracks infections across the UK and identifies who is most at risk.

These are the top 10 symptoms reported in the last month: