Omicron - causes, symptoms, signs, complications, diagnosis, treatment, prevention of coronavirus strain in adults and children

Omicron is the name of a new strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes coronavirus infection. Its appearance was caused by a mutation in the genome of the causative agent of the disease. Thanks to this, it acquired new properties that distinguish it from other varieties of coronavirus. These include: a short incubation period, high infectiousness of omicron, the ability to evade the body’s immune response and cause an atypical course of the disease. In most cases, it is mild or asymptomatic, so many patients get sick at home, under the supervision of a local physician.

However, this pathogen, like its predecessors, can also provoke the development of post-Covid syndrome; in some cases, complications arise that affect the normal functioning of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

The main difference between the omicron strain virus particle is the structure of the spike protein. It is a structure responsible for the penetration of the infectious agent into the cells of the body. Antibodies are produced directly to this protein after an illness or vaccination, so a change in its structure makes SARS-CoV-2 more infectious and resistant to previously acquired immunity.

Causes

A fresh strain of coronavirus infection was registered by WHO on November 26, 2022. Scientists put forward several hypotheses about the reasons for the appearance of the omicron virus:

Infection of humans from animals. It is assumed that changes in the genome of the pathogen could occur in the body of sick rodents or other animals. Viral particles then resumed circulation in the human population.
Mutations of the virus during the long course of COVID-19 in HIV-infected people and people suffering from other types of immunodeficiency.
The coronavirus situation is advanced in a number of countries. If laboratories are insufficiently equipped with equipment for isolating and sequencing the pathogen, new strains and gene mutations may appear that escape the attention of scientists.
Low rates of herd immunity. In the body of persons who have not been vaccinated, conditions for prolonged circulation and mutations in virus particles are more favorable. Poor vaccination efforts in some countries, including South Africa, may have contributed to the emergence of a new strain of SARS-CoV-2.

Infection with the omicron strain of COVID-19 is possible through close contact with a person who releases virus particles into the external environment through coughing and sneezing.
This can also happen if you enter a room where a carrier of the infection has stayed for a long time. Pathogens enter the body through the respiratory tract, less often through the mucous membrane of the eyes, bind to cell receptors and begin to rapidly multiply. Thanks to mutations in the coronavirus genome, the Omicron strain? unlike alpha, delta and gamma, it is more contagious, can cause disease even in the presence of antibodies in recovered and vaccinated people, it is more severe in children, and has a tendency to damage the upper respiratory tract rather than the lungs.

Symptoms

The manifestations of the disease with the new strain of coronavirus Omicron are similar to the symptoms of a cold.
The disease often occurs in a mild and often completely asymptomatic form. After 2-3 days or already the next day from the moment of infection, the following manifestations of COVID-19 may be observed:

impaired nasal breathing, sneezing;
sore and sore throat;
general weakness, fatigue, decreased performance;
moderate headache
diarrhea;
muscle pain;
dry cough;
nausea, vomiting;
chills, fever;
inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes;
rashes on the body;
loss of taste and ability to smell.

The temperature during omicron infection in most cases does not exceed 38 °C.
In complicated cases, it can rise to higher values, difficulty breathing occurs, the cough intensifies, a feeling of tightness and chest pain appear. In contrast to the symptoms caused by previous strains of coronavirus, infection with Omicron in adult patients is accompanied by more severe weakness and body aches, a throbbing headache, in some cases low body temperature, and in children - a skin rash.

The duration of the disease and manifestations depend on the state of immunity, treatment, and concomitant pathologies. In most cases, symptoms of omicron persist for 5-10 days, unless complications develop.

Complications

The disease caused by the omicron strain, as in cases of infection with other variants of SARS-CoV-2, may be accompanied by increased thrombus formation with subsequent thrombosis of the veins of the lower extremities, pulmonary embolism, heart attack and stroke.
Post-Covid syndrome can develop within three months after recovery, even if the disease was mild or asymptomatic, and persist for up to eight months. It is associated with persistent inflammation, excessive activation of the immune system, and neurological disorders. It is more pronounced in women who have been infected with Omicron or other strains of coronavirus.

Symptoms of this condition include:

weakness and fatigue;
dyspnea;
increase in body temperature to 37-37.5 ° C;
disruption of the digestive system;
sleep disorder;
anxiety;
depression;
decreased concentration.

Possible complications of the infection also include pneumonia, meningoencephalitis, autoimmune lesions of the peripheral nervous system, hyperreaction of the immune system - cytokine storm. In children, infection with Omicron can also lead to the development of bronchiolitis, an inflammatory process in the bronchioles, leading to their blockage.

"Triangle of Death" and acne

Experts do not recommend squeezing out acne on your own, and if they are located in the nasolabial area, they warn about the mortal danger of such an action.

During inflammation, the blood vessels in the affected area dilate. This is required so that leukocytes quickly reach the inflamed area. When squeezing out an acne element, we exert a mechanical force on it, risking damage to the walls of nearby vessels. Such actions are a direct path to infection. It quickly spreads, heading to the sinuses and meninges. When the latter become inflamed, meningitis develops, and when infection enters the sinuses, blood clots may appear. The formation of blood clots is explained by the fact that blood coagulates around particles from the inflamed lesion, and the neoplasm increases to such a size that it clogs the vessel.

The danger is that the venous sinuses supply the brain with blood. In the area of the nasolabial triangle there is a dense network of blood supply, so the soft tissues of the face heal relatively quickly. There are many veins, arteries, and anastomoses in this area. Veins form two networks – deep and superficial. One of the most important veins, the facial vein, is connected to the deep pterygoid venous plexus and also flows into the jugular vein, which leaves the cranial cavity and descends to the neck.

The facial vein is often involved in the process of inflammation during suppuration on the wings of the nose and upper lip. Under normal conditions, the direction of outflow of venous blood is from top to bottom to the jugular vein. But if blood clots form inside the facial vein and its tributaries, retrograde (reverse) blood flow occurs, which leads to inflammation of the sinuses and meningitis. They cannot always be diagnosed immediately, which aggravates the problem and sometimes leads to irreversible consequences.

Diagnostics

There are no specific signs characteristic exclusively of infection with the omicron strain.
In a pandemic, at the first symptoms of acute respiratory infections, in order to clarify the diagnosis, experts advise performing PCR testing for COVID-19 or ICA - rapid testing for the COVID-19 antigen. To obtain reliable results, since the Omicron strain coronavirus has a short incubation period and often occurs in a mild form, the study should be carried out already on the 3-4th day after the initial signs of the disease appear. According to indications, a study of immunoglobulins of class A, M, G SARS-CoV-2 is also carried out.

Nonspecific laboratory diagnostics for omicron infection is required for persons with moderate, severe and extremely severe disease. It assumes:

clinical blood test to determine the level of leukocytes;
biochemical blood test (ALT, AST, creatinine), determination of procalcitonin and inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, ferritin);
assessment of blood clotting according to coagulogram, D-dimer;
determination of hormone levels in the blood.

To detect pathological changes in the lung tissue, a plain chest x-ray or computed tomography of the lungs is performed. The latter is indicated only for symptoms of respiratory failure and low levels of blood oxygenation.

Bibliography

Adaskevich V.P. Perioral dermatitis: clinical picture, diagnosis, treatment / V.P. Adaskevich // Dermatology. – 2008. – No. 1. – P. 17–20.
Grashkin V. A. Diagnostic criteria, epidemiology and substantiation of clinical and pathogenetic types of perioral dermatitis / V. A. Grashkin, M. S. Gromov // Voenmed. magazine – 2010. – No. 10. – P. 32–45.
Rodionov A. N. Dermatocosmetology. Lesions of the facial skin and mucous membranes. Diagnostics, treatment, prevention / A. N. Rodionov. – St. Petersburg. : Science and technology, 2011. – 912 p.
Karelina O. Yu. Perioral dermatitis: treatment with azelaic acid / O. Yu. Karelina, Yu. M. Karelin // Klin. dermatology and venereology. – 2006.

Treatment

The examination and management of patients is carried out by general practitioners, pediatricians, and, if necessary, infectious disease specialists and doctors in the intensive care unit.
For mild cases of COVID-19 caused by the causative agent of the Omicron strain, treatment is aimed at increasing the body’s defenses, quickly eliminating the infection, alleviating symptoms and preventing the development of complications. For this purpose, it is recommended to drink plenty of fluids, rest in bed, regularly ventilate the room and humidify the air. Antipyretic drugs are used at temperatures above 38.0 ° C, sprays, lozenges and gargles are used to relieve sore throats, and for dry coughs, herbal infusions and cough suppressants are used. It is possible to use alpha-interferon drugs.

In some cases, on the recommendation of a doctor, specific antiviral therapy (favipiravir, molnupiravir), anticoagulants, glucocorticosteroids, interleukin inhibitors and receptor antagonists, plasma and human antibodies from recovered or vaccinated people are prescribed. Severely ill patients may require oxygen support or tracheal intubation for mechanical ventilation, parenteral administration of saline and colloid solutions.

Perioral dermatitis

Perioral dermatitis on the face is a disease that affects the skin.
It appears in the form of small pimples that form in the area of the lips and mouth. It is accompanied by unpleasant itching, redness and negative consequences, which can be eliminated through a medical examination and properly selected treatment. In each specific situation, based on the results of the consultation, doctors recommend the patient medications that are relevant to his case. These include specialized pastes, ointments, sometimes hormonal drugs, as well as therapy that quickly eliminates burning and other symptoms. For perioral dermatitis, medications (ointment, tablets, cream) are selected based on medical diagnosis and tests. You can purchase the necessary medications for treatment on our website “Pharmacy 911”.

Prognosis and prevention

How long COVID-19 caused by omicron lasts depends on concomitant diseases, the state of immunity, the timeliness and correctness of the treatment.
Since the disease is usually mild and complications are less common, the prognosis is most often favorable. However, the high infectivity of the pathogen and, accordingly, a large number of patients seeking outpatient care can overwhelm the healthcare system. In this regard, the prevention of infection with omicron is so important. This includes the following activities:

use of personal respiratory protection – masks and respirators;
frequent hand washing and disinfection, use of gloves;
maintaining social distance of 1.5-2 meters in crowded places.

Vaccination plays a special role in the fight against coronavirus. Scientists have confirmed the effectiveness of the drugs “Sputnik V” and “Sputnik Light” against the omicron strain. The risk of infection remains even after vaccination, but thanks to the vaccine, the virus can be blocked at the initial stage of penetration into the body, making the disease more likely to be mild or asymptomatic.

How to warn?

First of all, to prevent the occurrence of rashes around the lips and nose, you should follow the rules of personal hygiene. To cleanse the skin you need to use special cosmetics or soap with tar. Do soft peeling with fruit acid scrubs 2 times a week. To avoid acne, it is very important to eat well. It is worth including more fresh vegetables and fruits, sea fish and nuts in your diet. They also recommend drinking at least 1.5 liters a day of pure water or freshly squeezed juice. You should avoid eating spicy, fatty and fried foods, sugar and strong coffee. You should not touch the skin of your face with your hands unnecessarily, as many germs accumulate on them, which can cause a rash. To maintain healthy skin, it is useful to walk longer in the fresh air and exercise.