Two new sub-variants of Omicron have been discovered. They have been namedBA.4 and BA.5 and seem to have originated in South Africa. Professor Tim Spector, who is at the head of the ZOE Covid Study app has talked about some of the symptoms to look out for with the two new ‘sub-lineages’ of Omicron.
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The new variants
Professor Spector talked about the latest ‘sub-lineages’ of the Omicron strain of COVID-19 on Youtube. Professor Spector is the head of the ZOE Covid Study app, which has just recently renamed itself the ZOE Health Study app, and is also a Professor of Epidemiology at King's College London.
Professor Spector has said that the new variants of Omicronaren’t at ‘worrying levels’ in the UK. So far, there have been 1,300 reported cases of BA.4 in England and one in Northern Ireland.
He added:
But it's only a small proportion of current levels. BA.2 accounts for the vast majority of cases reported
Two symptoms to look out for
According to Professor Spector, there are two symptoms that people should be aware of: loss of taste and tinnitus, also known as ear ringing. These two symptoms should be ‘taken seriously’.
Professor Spector said:
It suggests another part of the body is being affected, something internal, more close to the brain.
This report comes after Professor Spector and his colleagues conducted a survey concerning the presence of tinnitus in people infected with COVID.
Read more:
⋙ COVID death toll: WHO reveals the real global number of deaths
⋙ COVID-19: New Omicron sub variant spreading fast in the US
