Self-tests or tests given by medical professionals can tell you if you have COVID-19 or not. What we know now about lingering symptoms. A few experts told me that theyre worried some antigen tests will struggle to pinpoint the highly mutated Omicron at all, something still being monitored by the FDA. This makes infection easier. And here it was reported that doctors had found cases where several people had been reinfected with Omicron. Thats according to new findings presented this week at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases in Copenhagen. Tim Spector, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at Kings College London stated that those who were double vaxxed and had Covid registered feeling sick alongside other more known Omicron symptoms. "A runny nose and headache are symptoms of many infections, but may also be the first symptoms and only symptoms of Covid," explains Professor Irene Petersen, an epidemiology and health professor at University College London (opens in new tab). The unvaccinated remain most at risk, but this trend would have troubling consequences for the vaccinated and previously infected too, especially if theyre unboosted. So far, XBB.1.16 does not seem to cause more severe disease than previous COVID That all said, this reduction in risk doesn't mean omicron will be mild for everyone. Omicron is a rare and serious condition that can have a major impact on the life of those affected. This analysis found no clear difference in the And among those who are vaccinated, almost all have not received a booster shot. But testing in the United States remains slow, expensive, and, for many, infuriatingly out of reach. They include: To find out if you have the virus, youll need to take a COVID-19 test. Does Omicron cause the same symptoms as other types of COVID-19? Scientists named this variant Omicron BA.2 to distinguish it from the original Omicron variant, BA.1. For severe cases, recovery can take six weeks or more, and there may be lasting damage to the heart, kidneys, lungs and brain, said Maragakis. With omicron, the symptoms also come on more quickly once you're infected. Alpha: 19.6 hours. In many places, Omicron cases are doubling every two to three days. A Netherlands study (opens in new tab) determined fatigue is "highly prevalent" in long Covid cases. Yes sickness could be a symptom of Omicron. The latter was the only option for pre-exposure prophylaxis (or preventive medicine) for immunocompromised individuals. "As Omicron has a mutation here, that means that this part of the PCR test will fail. And these were often before the more familiar symptoms of cough, high fever and shortness of breath. So reinfection does not automatically mean severe disease.". The omicron variant of the novel coronavirus is still surging throughout the country, as people continue to face symptoms for days without end. Joint pain is another common symptom of omicron, and it can last for weeks or months. Vaccination reduces the risk of long COVID by 15% to 30%, according to a study he recently published. Also wear a mask if you or a family member are at high risk for severe COVID-19 disease even if the community level is at medium. Data has shown that most people who catch Omicron will recover in less than a week. XBB.1.16 dubbed Arcturus on social media is another descendant of omicron. Delta: 16.8 hours. [Originally published:Dec. 2, 2021. This was the case even before omicron: People who had breakthrough infections tended to have fewer symptoms and milder ones than those who were unvaccinated. Its also important to manage stress levels, as stress can worsen omicron symptoms. A runny nose is also a common factor associated with allergies like Hay fever (opens in new tab) plus colds and the seasonal flu. Early studies showed that current vaccines and boosters seemed to work at least as well against this variant, protecting against a first infection as well as against serious illness if you do get infected. The reports show that patients in South Africamany of whom were younghave had severe fatigue, butno loss of taste or smell, saysLauren Ferrante, MD, a Yale Medicine pulmonologist. "It is likely that lateral flow tests will detect infections caused by Omicron; research is underway to verify this.". Both the WHO and the CDC classified it as a "variant of concern.". A COVID vaccine wont help you when it comes to the flu. This, especially, could be bad news for PCR tests, which have been the gold standard throughout the pandemic and essential for diagnosing the very sick. Lingering symptoms after weeks or months? For example, if you're over age 65, your risk of being hospitalized with COVID-19 is still 5% with the omicron variant, which means 1 in 20 people infected in this age group will end up in the hospital. And most of all, does this variant cause less severe disease than the variants that have come before it? We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. A bivalent shot is available to people two months after theyve completed the two-dose primary series or received a previous booster dose. Since then, the numbers of countries and cases linked to these variants have spiked. It showed that 300,000 covid cases were being registered each day - most of them of the Omicron strain. "We didn't need to do any complicated statistics to see the difference.". Omicron was first recognised as a strain in November 2021. The time lines described by the Norwegian researchers are preliminary, and might not be representative of the rest of us. These mutations affect the "spike" proteins that help the virus latch onto and infect your cells. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirmed in the week ending June 10 that covid cases in England were up 1.46% - with Omicron variants behind these increased infections. Congestion or runny nose. "People who have COVID-19 can infect others from around 2 days before symptoms start, and for up to 10 days after," reads the government website (opens in new tab). "They're not short of breath, and really the lungs are OK," says Roberts, of Yale. Britain's Omicron deaths have contributed to the UK's total Coronavirus death count which now exceeds 160,000. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. And the negative results they get might have even less longevity than they did with other variants, Melissa Miller, a clinical microbiologist at UNC, told me. At first, scientists thought BA.2 wasnt as contagious as BA.1 and would fade away soon. In a live Q&A broadcast (opens in new tab) he explained that covid infection is diagnosed from the nose, essentially making it an infection of the mucus lining. The methods for avoiding infection haven't changed, though it can be hard to stick with them when no one else is: Get vaccinated, wear a mask and avoid crowded spaces. chronic fatigue syndrome-like presentation. Since these symptoms mimic those Webhow long do omicron symptoms last? Headache. South African Dr Angelique Coetzee, who discovered the Omicron variant has spoken a lot about patients with this strain experiencing more of "a scratchy throat". But it's very possible that doctors and patients are simply paying more attention to these symptoms than they did with earlier variants, says Dr. Scott Roberts, an assistant professor of infectious diseases at the Yale School of Medicine. Terms & Conditions. But other countries (Great Britain, Norway, and Sweden) reported slower BA.2 increases. It's worth noting that this 12-day infectious period is a general pre-caution as everyone's experience with the virus is different. Only reason I took a homes test was because the flu (which I thought I had) doesnt last 4 days. "Omicron versus delta are really more similar than they are different.". Check out our sore throat remedies (opens in new tab) if you are currently experiencing pain. Firstis getting vaccinated. Subscribe to Well Adjusted, our newsletter full of simple strategies to work smarter and live better, from the Fortune Well team. The omicron variant of the coronavirus has surged in the U.K. and is now dominant in the U.S. as well. The company says it expects to have a vaccine that will protect against the recent Omicron subvariants in 2023. This article may contain affiliate links. Nailing the incubation interval really is tough. The latest variant, called XBB.1.5, grew exponentially over the month of December, from about 1% of cases nationwide to 27% as of Jan. 7, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. and the new bivalent vaccine targets both the original strain as well as Omicron. Omicron was the predominant strain in the U.S. by late December. That's why, she says, everyone should be vaccinated and boosted. Some people are asymptomatic, meaning they never have symptoms but do have COVID-19. 2005 - 2023 WebMD LLC, an Internet Brands company. In the many months since that now-defunct version of the virus emerged, new variants have arrived to speed the timeline up. Rather, the impact results from the sheer number of people infected over a short period of time.. recorded only a little more than 225,000 lab-confirmed cases of flu last year. Key Takeaways Studies suggest that Omicron infections can last in the body for up to 10 days. Or it could be related to being ill, such as dehydrationor hunger caused by not eating and drinking normally.". Researchers continue to look at how well current COVID-19 treatments help with Omicron cases. Novavax also offers a booster shot, but it protects against the original SARS CoV-2 virus and may not protect against recent Omicron subvariants. Long COVIDlike symptoms can happen after the flu, too. Emily Stedman is the Features Editor for GoodTo covering all things TV, entertainment, royal, lifestyle, health and wellbeing. Experts monitor the data as new strains emerge. However, some people may still get very sick, need to be hospitalized, and could die from an Omicron infection. COVID-19 has been perhaps the most successful virus in all of human history, Cannon said, infecting billions of people across the planet. Medical professionals have claimed that symptoms differ from the Delta variant covid symptoms (opens in new tab). Data for the study was gathered from a period between January and July 2022, when previous strains of Omicron were circulating. This was based on data recently logged in March 2022. (Thankfully, most PCR tests do seem to be detecting Omicron well.) And during this time it's likely you'll still show up as positive on lateral flow tests. Published 29 April 23. In November 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) first identified the Omicron mutation of the COVID-19 virus as a variant of concern. Its important to continue to social distance to stop the spread of Omicron when there is a threat of COVID-19 in the area. fatigue (mild or severe) sneezing. Omicron typically causes less severe disease than other variants. All six experts interviewed by USA TODAY this week dismissed the idea that there is somehow an upside to getting infected: Vaccination provides better protection against future infection without the risk. There's now data indicating just how severe its symptoms might be. 2023 Fortune Media IP Limited. Scientists are trying to figure out why. Three that have gained attention are nausea, night sweats and lower back pain. There is some good news though, courtesy of Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme (opens in new tab). Once symptoms appear, you have entered the acute stage. And it reported that as many as two thirds of people recelty infected with Omicron had Covid previously. Data has shown that most people who catch Omicron will recover in less than a week. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. To reduce the severity and frequency of headaches, its important to manage stress levels and get plenty of sleep. And as much as we'd like it to, signs show it's not completely going away any time soon. On Friday he ordered remaining ones back to the office. If Omicrons incubation period turns out to be conclusively shorter, we would still have to figure out how it got winnowed down. Web"After five days of either being detected on a rapid test or after symptom onset, your chance, your risk of infecting others is dramatically decreasing after five days," MacDonald said. However, if you're just feeling sick, it's more likely to be nothign to do with Covid. December 20, 2021. But they appear to match up with early, sometimes-anecdotal reports, including some out of South Africa, one of the first countries to detect and report Omicrons existence. 151. Just as an FYI, the flu can absolutely last 4 days. One, from a team at Harvard University, showed that a harmless virus, engineered to display Omicrons spike on its surface, more easily penetrated human cells in a dish; another, out of Hong Kong University, found that Omicron multiplied dozens of times faster than Delta in tissue extracted from the upper airway. Its also important to stay active and engage in gentle exercise, as well as cognitive stimulation activities. That didnt happen. With omicron, the symptoms also come on more quickly once you're infected. In the three months since the omicron variant emerged, its toll across the globe has been devastating. ", "While omicron does appear to be less severe compared to delta, especially in those vaccinated, it does not mean it should be categorized as 'mild,' " said the World Health Organization's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Thursday. About 80% of the patients at Yale New Haven Hospital are unvaccinated. Eventually, a vaccine- or infection-trained immune system will catch up, Ryan McNamara, a virologist at Harvard Medical School, told me, churning out more antibodies and launching an army of T cells that can quell the virus before it begets serious disease. A commuter masks up for a bus ride in Liverpool, England. In some cases, the symptoms may linger for longer, or even become chronic. Post-viral illnesses often have a chronic fatigue syndrome-like presentation, with symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and post-exertional malaise, in which symptoms get worse after mental or physical activity. And are now instead returning to reporting the daily coronavirus death count.