A leading GP has described how Omicron symptoms could show in children amid a rise in Covid-related school absences.

For adults, recognisable symptoms of Omicron could include sneezing, aches, fatigue and sore throat.

But what is the full list of potential Omicron variant symptoms in children?

Here's what parents need to know about children's Covid symptoms from health experts.

Omicron symptoms in children

Explaining Omicron symptoms in children, GP Dr David Lloyd drew from his experience working as a GP and warned of tiredness, headache and a "funny rash".

Dr Lloyd told Sky News: "There is a little difference in the symptom presentation, so things like fatigue and headache and loss of appetite seem to be quite important as does a rash. 

"So we've always had a little, small cohort of patients with Covid who are getting a little funny rash but up to 15% of the Omicron children are getting a rash, an unusual rash as well."

The South African doctor who first raised the alarm about the Omicron variant previously told The Telegraph the symptoms are unusual but mild.

Dr Angelique Coetze, who treated patients with the new variant as early as November, said: "Their symptoms were so different and so mild from those I had treated before.”

Dr Coetze saw both children and adults with intense fatigue, saying it was mostly healthy men who turned up “feeling so tired”.

Is there an NHS list of Omicron symptoms?

There has been no official information on any differing symptoms with this new strain of Covid so NHS advice remains to look out for a high temperature, a new, continuous cough or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.

Read more like this: 

Covid crisis in schools

Staffing schools in England has become “one of the biggest challenges”, while the number of online lessons has hit the highest level since schools returned from closures in March 2021.

Darlington and Stockton Times:

The Government-backed Oak National Academy, which provides free learning resources and online lessons, said its weekly user figure last week was 340,000.

The school expects the numbers to grow as schools try to keep children learning despite Covid-related absences.

It comes as Dame Maura Regan, chief executive officer of Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust, said she would be in favour of a move in England to decrease the coronavirus isolation period to five days.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Personally, I’d welcome it, because I think the most important thing is there are many staff that actually have no symptoms, many children that have no symptoms, and I think it’s important to get staff back as quickly as possible.

“I think the most important thing we have to remember is that while it’s significant for all children, it’s particularly significant for those students that are actually facing exams, and many of them have had two, two and a half years, of disruption and to then have a lack of quality teaching is actually greater disruption for them.”

She said “one of the biggest challenges” currently for schools is “effective supply cover”.

She said: “Many people can’t get supply in and, obviously, supply agencies are at something like 50% down on those that are available.”