Fourth wave scare! Omicron now dominant variant in Delhi: Here are some serious side-effects caused by this virus

Coivd-19 cases are again on the rise and with every passing day, the threat of the fourth wave of coronavirus infections is bothering us. Several parts of India, especially Delhi-NCR had witnessed a steep uptick in Covid infection soon after the national capital did away with the pandemic restrictions.

Delhi and Uttar Pradesh governments have recently said that the Omicron variant of coronavirus is now the dominant strain and has replaced Delta, which triggered the deadly second wave in India.

However, this doesn’t mean that Omicron can do us no harm. While panicking and locking up yourself at home isn’t a solution, it is always a good idea to be aware of the risks and take preventive measures.

Amid fourth wave scare, here are some life-threatening and long-term complications of the Omicron variant that have been plaguing the lives of patients.

Heart complications

Experts who worked on a paper, published in Nature Medicine, have analyzed the records of over 150,000 Covid-positive patients. They found that the rate of conditions such as coronary disease, strokes and heart failure, was noticeably higher in those who were infected with covid during the Omicron waves across the world.

Coronary artery disease

Coronary artery disease is caused by plaque buildup in the wall of the arteries that supply blood to the heart.

The study also found that the risk of heart attacks was increased by 63% in people who got Covid while the risk of coronary artery disease or a stroke, was 72 % and 52%respectively.

Mental Health issues

Another study conducted with the help of the databases from the United States Department of Veterans Affair found that people who contracted Covid, especially during the Omicron waves, were more likely to develop mental health issues in the year after initial diagnosis.

The long term symptoms can lead to mental health problems if not treated – with anxiety disorders also leading to issues such as panic attacks.

Respiratory Illness and croup in kids

As per a study, published in the journal Pediatrics, there was a rise noted in cases among the children who were diagnosed with croup and Covid-19, both at the same time, which led to hospitalisations as well.

The experts added that just over 80% of such cases occurred during the Omicron period.

Severe Back pain

In addition to cold, cough and fatigue, severe back pain is one of the long-lasting and most complicated side-effects of the Omicron variant.

Dr Ann Mary, Consultant, General Medicine, Amrita Hospital while talking to IANS said "Back pain, though common in most viral fevers, but compared to Delta, Omicron patients tend to have more back pain