Odd Symptoms Occur in Patients Subvariant BA.5

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The daily cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia are still high. Positive numbers even reach thousands per day. Yesterday, the positive number touched 2,881 new cases. This significant increase is observed due to Omicron mutations, namely BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.

According to an epidemiologist from Australia’s Griffith University, Dicky Budiman, patients with Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariant infections who have not been vaccinated against the full dose of Covid-19 experience symptoms that are almost similar to the Delta variant. He refers to data in other countries such as Portugal.

One of them lost the ability to smell or anosmia. “There is a loss of smell, feeling tired. In severe cases, it can be like Delta, having to go to the hospital,” he said, as quoted on Friday (8/7/2022).

The similarity of symptoms occurred because the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants adopted a combination of symptoms of the Delta variant and the Omicron variant.

“This BA.4 and BA.5 have a combination of the infecting speed inherited from Omicron, [that is] fast and easy to infect both those who have not or have been vaccinated, even more, effective now,”

Meanwhile, internal medicine expert dr. Adria Rusli from RSPI Sulianti Saroso explained that the incubation period of the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants was faster than the original Omicron (BA.1) and Delta.

A person infected with this subvariance can experience symptoms ranging from coughing to painful swallowing within two to three days. Unlike Omicron and Delta which usually take up to five or seven days.

However, there are unique symptoms that arise from this subvariance. A woman named Claire Taylor experienced strange symptoms when exposed to the Omicron variant. Taylor is a doctor from England who shared the unusual experience of being infected with Omicron BA.5.

Taylor said he had symptoms similar to meningitis, neck pain and stiffness, and sensitivity to light. “I had pain everywhere like I had been hit by a bus,” Taylor said, as quoted by Express UK

Taylor said his body had been in pain for a few days before his neck became stiff. On the fifth day, the doctor felt symptoms of numbness, tingling in the left arm, and visual disturbances.

“I went to bed and woke up with a distorted vision in my left eye. I couldn’t read anything because there was a bit of text missing,” he said.