IT’S time to stock up on tissues, paracetamol and Covid tests again.
Yes, that’s right, Covid appears to be on the rise once more.
But this time, a new Omicron variant has taken centre stage – and people are calling it Eris.
This bug believed to be less severe than previous variants – but perhaps more contagious.
And to make things worse, it can mask as a summer cold, meaning you could pass it on unknowingly.
Latest data shows Eris, or EG.5, is the second most prevalent Covid strain in the UK, accounting for 14.6 per cent of cases, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
Overall Covid infections are thought to have jumped from 606,656 on July 4 to 785,980 on July 27, according to the Zoe Health Study.
This sudden rise in cases could be the result of the poor weather in July prompting people to gather indoors without natural ventilation to keep them safe, Prof David Strain, from the University of Exeter’s Medical School, said.
He told the BBC that for many people the effects of a new variant were like a “bad summer cold”.
Booster jabs were “offering protection against severe illness from this particular variant”, he said.
But it doesn’t appear to actually stop you catching it.
“But if you do catch it, it turns into this summer cold that we’re all experiencing and it means our body can react really quickly,” the Prof added.
He said this is not a reason to panic but people should be aware that this is going around.
“For the vast majority of us who are fully vaccinated, this is no more risky than a bad case of flu,” he said.
Millions have already had the bug and the majority of Brits also have protection due to the huge vaccine roll out.
The current strain doing the rounds, Omicron, has been proven to be milder than others that came before it, such as Delta and Alpha.
Here’s how to tell the difference between Omicron and a cold:
Omicron
The easiest way to check you have Covid is to take a test.
These are available for free for some groups – such as those who are at high risk of becoming seriously ill from the bug – for example if you are immunosuppressed.
You may also be asked to take a test if you are going to hospital for a procedure.
The most recent data from ZOE states that people who are catching Omicron are showing specific symptoms.
Data from app states that there are 20 symptoms Brits should be on the lookout for.
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Headache
- Blocked nose
- Cough no phlegm
- Sneezing
- Cough with phlegm
- Hoarse voice
- Muscle pain aches
- Fatigue
- Dizzy light headed
- Altered smell
- Swollen neck glands
- Eye soreness
- Chest pain tightness
- Shortness of breath
- Loss of smell
- Earache
- Chills or shivers
- Joint pain shoulders
Experts at the CDC in the US said that one main difference, is that you are infectious longer if you have Covid, compared to the flu or cold.
They stated: “On average, people can begin spreading the virus that causes Covid-19 2-3 days before their symptoms begin, but infectiousness peaks one day before their symptoms begin.
“On average, people are considered contagious for about eight days after their symptoms began.”
Cold
If you’re suffering from a cold, it’s likely you will pick up ear infections and infections of the sinuses.
In general though, the NHS says you may experience:
- runny nose
- sneezing
- body aches
- cough
- headache