Covid rules are being relaxed across the UK following a decline in Covid cases, but people are still urged to remain cautious.
Boris Johnson set out his plan for ending the final coronavirus laws in England earlier this week, telling MPs it is time to move away from government restrictions to “personal responsibility”.
The changes this week have seen the legal requirement to self-isolate after a positive Covid test scrapped, while free universal symptomatic and asymptomatic testing will end for the general public from 1 April.
Despite the relaxations, the Prime Minister has stressed that “the pandemic is not over”, but the country has now passed the peak of the Omicron wave.
Case numbers have been falling and hospitalisations in England are now fewer than 10,000, with the link between infection and severe disease “substantially weakened”.
Mr Johnson said the UK now has sufficient levels of immunity to be able to rely on vaccines and treatments as the first line of defence, rather than government restrictions, but warned that resurgences of the virus are possible in the future.
As such, the official public health advice remains that anyone who has coronavirus should stay at home for at least five days, although this will no longer be legally enforced in England.
As Omicron can cause symptoms that are very similar to the common cold, it can be difficult to spot the signs of infection.
If you are unsure what to look out for, these are 10 of the most commonly reported symptoms of Omicron, including one unusual effect that appears during the night.
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1. Fatigue
Extreme tiredness appears to be the most common symptoms linked to the Omicron variant and is usually an early sign of infection. While it is still not clear how long fatigue can last after infection, with other variants tiredness typically lasts between five to eight days, but in some cases it can still affect people for several weeks after falling ill. | Shutterstock
2. Body aches and pains
Patients have reported experiencing body aches and pains after Omicron infection, which is also a common side effect of the original Covid-19 strain. This symptom usually only lasts for a few days and can be relieved with ibuprofen. | Shutterstock
3. Headache
While a headache does not necessarily mean you have Covid, it is one of the most frequently reported symptoms of the Omicron strain. Researchers have previously found that people with coronavirus tend to have moderate to severely painful headaches, or feel pulsing or stabbing pains. If you are concerned you may have coronavirus, you should take a test to check. | Shutterstock
4. Scratchy throat
Patients in South Africa, where Omicron was first detected, have described having a ‘scratchy throat’ that feels sore. Drinking plenty of fluids and taking paracetamol can help to soothe any pain. | Shutterstock