Do you wake up sweating profusely during the night? This could be a symptom of the new variant of Covid-19

We all already know the common symptoms of the Covid-19 virus, but a new variant seems to be leaving people with an unpleasant symptom at night.

The 'BA.5' variant has been called the 'brother' of Omicron, which first spread during the winter of 2021 and was the dominant type until it was overtaken by this new variant a few weeks ago.

And while both strains of the virus have similar symptoms, "BA.5" has an additional unwanted feature, with many sufferers reporting night sweats.

Scientists think it may be similar to Omicron in severity and cause fewer serious cases and deaths than predecessors such as Alpha and Delta, but like Omicron, it is believed to be more easily transmitted. Evidence has also suggested that BA.5 may be more capable of reinfecting patients.

The ZOE Covid Study reports that the most common symptoms of Covid in people with two or more doses of the vaccine include runny nose, headache, sneezing, sore throat and persistent cough.

The NHS describes how you can tell if you have Covid when you "sweat so much that your clothes and bedding are wet, even though the place you are sleeping is cool".

In addition to BA.5, common causes also include anxiety, menopausal symptoms, low blood sugar, certain medications, drug or alcohol use, and a harmless condition called hyperhidrosis, which makes sufferers sweat more than usual all the time.

Night sweats can rarely be a sign of a more serious condition or have no known cause.