On 1/5/2022 at 1:53 AM, jacko45k said:

I have heard both... it is apparent symptoms do vary between people. Another point is the loss of taste or smell is not an Omicron symptom... so I can put my small  jar of Tiger Balm away. 

Anosmia is still a symptom from Omicron.

Just not as often as with the Delta.

 

So better keep your tiger balm ????

 

Approx 13% vs 34%

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/does-omicron-cause-loss-of-smell-or-taste/amp/

On 1/5/2022 at 5:51 AM, khunjeff said:

The PCR test should be positive for people infected with omicron, yes, but I think what @Puccini was asking was whether the PCR test would also identify the specific variant when it gives a positive result, and to that the answer is no - additional tests need to be run on the sample.

 

"Fewer than half of UK labs have the required technology to detect suspected Omicron cases. This means that in some areas, it may be detected more quickly than in others.

 

Confirming that a suspected case is Omicron requires a full genetic analysis, which takes between four and five days."

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-59460252

It's easier to detect the  Delta variant. A simple, albeit approximate way, is to consider non-delta cases as Omicron. That's how they counted Omicron cases in French statistics.