Three Omicron ‘warning signs’ to watch out for in your skin, nails and lips

A TRIO of Omicron "warning signs" have been flagged to watch out for.

Symptoms showing up in your lips, skin and nails could mean you need urgent medical care.

Noticing you or a loved one have pale, grey or blue coloured skin in any of these areas is key.

It is a rare complication in serious Covid cases which means oxygen levels in the blood are low.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said it is an "emergency warning sign".

The CDC suggests seeking out help "immediately" if anyone notices the change in colour, along with trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, inability to stay awake or pale or new confusion.

Older and more vulnerable people are more likely to develop a more severe illness, especially with Omicron, but younger healthy people can in rare cases need medical help.

If you are symptomless and feeling well it shouldn't be a worry, and is only something to monitor if you are feeling very unwell.

While it's important to watch out for warning signs of serious illness, a string of hugely positive studies show Omicron is milder than other strains in the vaccinated.

Covid booster jabs protect against Omicron and offer the best chance to get through the pandemic, health officials have repeatedly said.

The Sun's Jabs Army campaign is helping get the vital extra vaccines in Brits' arms to ward off the need for any new restrictions.

With previous coronavirus strains like Delta, the symptoms were generally easier to identity such as a continuous cough, fever and a loss of taste and smell.

Omicron though has been harder to identify as it has been found to blend in with other symptoms of seasonal illnesses such as flu or the common cold.

It comes as Covid could be as mild as the common cold within months, experts believe – as cases begin to slow.

Dr Mike Tildesley claims that the world will soon be able to function normally again and will no longer be crippled by new variants of the killer virus.

The University of Warwick expert also feeds information into SAGE, and previously questioned the need for curbs.

He raised hopes that cases are starting to slow in Covid hot-spot London.

The claims come after it was revealed that Omicron could be 99 per cent less deadly than other variants.

But Health Secretary Sajid Javid says the NHS is facing a "rocky few weeks ahead" as it contends with a wave of Omicron cases.

He said: "The best thing people can do is get their booster jab.

"We know now that Omicron is less severe… and we certainly know that once you get boosted that your chance of hospitalisation, our latest analysis shows, is almost 90 per cent less than it was with Delta."

His comments come after ministers have found themselves under mounting pressure to cut the self-isolation period because of the devastating knock on effect it is having on the health service.