• A locked gate blocks access to a bar area in Berlin. Germany's government has put a lid on New Year celebrations, with nightclubs slated to close from December 28 onwards. AFP
    A locked gate blocks access to a bar area in Berlin. Germany's government has put a lid on New Year celebrations, with nightclubs slated to close from December 28 onwards. AFP
  • A jogger runs past the Covid-19 Memorial Wall in London. EPA
    A jogger runs past the Covid-19 Memorial Wall in London. EPA
  • People receive the Moderna booster at a vaccination centre in Antwerp, Belgium. Many are flocking to receive their booster shots amid surging Omicron infections. AP
    People receive the Moderna booster at a vaccination centre in Antwerp, Belgium. Many are flocking to receive their booster shots amid surging Omicron infections. AP
  • People wearing face masks pose for a photo outside a coffee shop with Christmas-themed decorations in Athens, Greece. AP
    People wearing face masks pose for a photo outside a coffee shop with Christmas-themed decorations in Athens, Greece. AP
  • A woman tapes the word "Omicron" to a handmade effigy depicting the Omicron coronavirus variant in Managua. The effigies will be burnt at midnight on December 31 as a tradition of saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming the new. AFP
    A woman tapes the word "Omicron" to a handmade effigy depicting the Omicron coronavirus variant in Managua. The effigies will be burnt at midnight on December 31 as a tradition of saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming the new. AFP
  • Delivery workers of South Korea's leading logistics company CJ Logistics Corporation protest in the capital Seoul over working conditions. EPA
    Delivery workers of South Korea's leading logistics company CJ Logistics Corporation protest in the capital Seoul over working conditions. EPA
  • Shoppers hunt for bargains in Tokyo as people prepare for the New Year celebrations. Authorities in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto have announced free PCR tests to reduce infection risk especially during the holidays in Japan. EPA
    Shoppers hunt for bargains in Tokyo as people prepare for the New Year celebrations. Authorities in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto have announced free PCR tests to reduce infection risk especially during the holidays in Japan. EPA
  • Travellers at the international airport in Samut Prakan, Thailand. Authorities have suspended quarantine-free entry to the country for all passengers, to contain the spread of the Omicron variant. EPA
    Travellers at the international airport in Samut Prakan, Thailand. Authorities have suspended quarantine-free entry to the country for all passengers, to contain the spread of the Omicron variant. EPA
  • People queue for Covid-19 status checks before entering the Egyptian Museum, in Turin, northern Italy. EPA
    People queue for Covid-19 status checks before entering the Egyptian Museum, in Turin, northern Italy. EPA
  • A woman takes a Covid-19 test at a pop-up testing site as the Omicron coronavirus variant continues to spread in Manhattan, New York. Reuters
    A woman takes a Covid-19 test at a pop-up testing site as the Omicron coronavirus variant continues to spread in Manhattan, New York. Reuters
  • Workers check the body temperatures of pupils arriving for Year 12 examinations at a school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. EPA
    Workers check the body temperatures of pupils arriving for Year 12 examinations at a school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. EPA
  • Thousands of people on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 26. Brazil's beaches are crowded with the arrival of summer despite the worldwide spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant. Authorities will hold a New Year's Eve party on the Copacabana shore. Getty Images
    Thousands of people on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 26. Brazil's beaches are crowded with the arrival of summer despite the worldwide spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant. Authorities will hold a New Year's Eve party on the Copacabana shore. Getty Images
  • People gather during a demonstration of the cultural sector against the closure of venues under new rules put into place against Covid-19, in Brussels, Belgium. EPA
    People gather during a demonstration of the cultural sector against the closure of venues under new rules put into place against Covid-19, in Brussels, Belgium. EPA
  • Shoppers during Boxing Day sales in Glasgow. New restrictions have been introduced in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Getty Images
    Shoppers during Boxing Day sales in Glasgow. New restrictions have been introduced in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Getty Images
  • A woman takes a Covid-19 test in Times Square as the Omicron coronavirus variant continues to spread in New York City. Reuters
    A woman takes a Covid-19 test in Times Square as the Omicron coronavirus variant continues to spread in New York City. Reuters
  • Hospital workers gather for a selfie in the Covid-19 intensive care unit of the La Timone hospital in Marseille, southern France. One of the country’s largest hospitals, La Timone has weathered wave after wave of coronavirus. AP
    Hospital workers gather for a selfie in the Covid-19 intensive care unit of the La Timone hospital in Marseille, southern France. One of the country’s largest hospitals, La Timone has weathered wave after wave of coronavirus. AP
  • Cricket fans arrive on the first day of the third Ashes Test between Australia and England in Melbourne, Australia. EPA
    Cricket fans arrive on the first day of the third Ashes Test between Australia and England in Melbourne, Australia. EPA
  • A screen at the San Francisco International Airport shows cancelled United Airlines flights to Chicago O'Hare and Cleveland on Christmas Eve. EPA
    A screen at the San Francisco International Airport shows cancelled United Airlines flights to Chicago O'Hare and Cleveland on Christmas Eve. EPA
  • Travellers wait for trains on the eve of Christmas, at Euston Station in London. EPA
    Travellers wait for trains on the eve of Christmas, at Euston Station in London. EPA
  • Pastries named "virus" and "vaccine" on display in the window of a cafe and pastry shop in Prague, Czech Republic. Countries in central Europe are preparing for what many fear will be a fifth wave of the coronavirus brought on by the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. Getty Images
    Pastries named "virus" and "vaccine" on display in the window of a cafe and pastry shop in Prague, Czech Republic. Countries in central Europe are preparing for what many fear will be a fifth wave of the coronavirus brought on by the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. Getty Images
  • People wait to receive vaccine doses at a shopping centre in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. EPA
    People wait to receive vaccine doses at a shopping centre in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. EPA
  • People rush to receive Covid-19 testing kits from city workers in the Brooklyn area of New York. The city is handing out thousands of the kits, which include two tests per box, as part of efforts to reduce the surge of people in long lines at testing sites. AFP
    People rush to receive Covid-19 testing kits from city workers in the Brooklyn area of New York. The city is handing out thousands of the kits, which include two tests per box, as part of efforts to reduce the surge of people in long lines at testing sites. AFP
  • People queue on Christmas Day for booster shots in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. EPA
    People queue on Christmas Day for booster shots in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. EPA
  • Newly elected President Gabriel Boric receives the third booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine in Santiago, Chile. Getty Images
    Newly elected President Gabriel Boric receives the third booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine in Santiago, Chile. Getty Images

What are the symptoms of the Omicron Covid variant?


Jamie Prentis
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: follow the latest news on Covid-19 variant Omicron

The Omicron variant of Covid-19 has spread rapidly throughout the world, leading many countries to reintroduce or tighten restrictions in an effort to slow its spread.

While initial evidence suggests Omicron may be less severe than previous Covid variants, it is believed to be more transmissible and more able to evade the protection offered by current vaccines.

What are the symptoms of the Omicron Covid variant?

In the UK, the National Health Service has said the main symptoms of Covid-19 are a high temperature, a new and continuous cough, and changes to people's sense of smell or taste.

But early signs suggest that there are other symptoms that may be more specific to the Omicron variant, including sneezing, fatigue, a headache, lower back pain, fever, scratchy throat, night sweats and a runny nose.

There are also signs that a changed sense of smell or taste is less likely to be a symptom, as has been the case previously.

  • Medical workers conduct Covid-19 antigen tests on Palestinians entering Israel from the Gaza Strip. Bloomberg
    Medical workers conduct Covid-19 antigen tests on Palestinians entering Israel from the Gaza Strip. Bloomberg
  • Commuters wearing protective masks to prevent the spread of Covid-19 get out of a tram in Istanbul. Turkey says the highly contagious Omicron variant now makes up more than 10 per cent of new cases in the country's crowded provinces. AP
    Commuters wearing protective masks to prevent the spread of Covid-19 get out of a tram in Istanbul. Turkey says the highly contagious Omicron variant now makes up more than 10 per cent of new cases in the country's crowded provinces. AP
  • A nurse collects samples at a Covid-19 drive-through in the NMC Hospital, Dubai Investments Park. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    A nurse collects samples at a Covid-19 drive-through in the NMC Hospital, Dubai Investments Park. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Pharmacies in the UAE have started selling Covid-19 self-testing kits. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Pharmacies in the UAE have started selling Covid-19 self-testing kits. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Audience members wear protective masks during a lecture in Ankara, Turkey. AP
    Audience members wear protective masks during a lecture in Ankara, Turkey. AP
  • An Egyptian worshipper lights candles during Christmas Eve Mass at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Cairo. AP
    An Egyptian worshipper lights candles during Christmas Eve Mass at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Cairo. AP
  • Worshippers attend Christmas Eve Mass at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Cairo. AP
    Worshippers attend Christmas Eve Mass at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Cairo. AP
  • People arrive to receive Covid-19 vaccine doses at a facility in Kuwait City. EPA
    People arrive to receive Covid-19 vaccine doses at a facility in Kuwait City. EPA

How easy does Omicron spread?

Early research from experts in Hong Kong, based on lab testing of tissue samples, has shown Omicron replicates up to 70 times faster in the airways leading to the lungs than the Delta variant, which may help explain its rapid spread throughout the population.

But its apparent mildness may be explained by the same Hong Kong study that showed Omicron replicates 10 times slower in the lungs than Delta does.

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BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes

Tesalam Aleik

Abdullah Al Ruwaished

(Rotana)

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Concrete and Gold
Foo Fighters
RCA records

Dates for the diary

To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:

  • September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
  • October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
  • October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
  • November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
  • December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
  • February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
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Updated: January 18, 2022, 10:07 AM