We also need to keep in mind the true definition of mild, Hilary Babcock, MD, a professor of medicine who specializes in prevention of infection transmission at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, told Verywell. Be sure to check with your pharmacist if you are taking other medications that those painkillers might interfere with. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky called them "more transmissible and more immune evading" than other Omicron variants in a 2022 White House press briefing. Here's a full list of known, potential COVID-19 symptoms for any individual, according to the CDC: Cough. This may be the sniffles or a scratchy throat, some mild fatigue, fever, aches. In fact, when comparing variants, there are usually more symptom similarities than there are differences, says Scott Roberts, M.D., assistant professor and associate medical director of infection prevention at Yale School of Medicine. Since BA.4 and BA.5 have become the dominant strains, Dr. Wesley Long, an experimental pathologist at Houston Methodist Hospital,told CNNthat he has seen cases of reinfection. Find a COVID-19 vaccine or booster near you: https://t.co/xbvNiaVJKV. Think you may have Omicron? "Occasionally there can be nausea and diarrhea," Gulick said. Persistent pain or pressure in the chest. Can Omicron symptoms be distinguished from Delta symptoms? We continue to see new variants, and their different lineages and sublineages, emerge & disappear as they compete against each other. She notes they can also be purchased online. With some omicron cases, particularly breakthrough infections in those who are boosted and vaccinated, remaining mild, many are wondering how to tell if it's a cold, the flu or COVID-19. Text Size. Javascript must be enabled to use this site. You need to be cautiouseven though for most people who are vaccinated with a booster, they will likely experience only a mild disease," he said. It might happen due to the Omicron variant infection, and experts say that one should get tested for Covid-19 if you have these abdominal complaints even without respiratory symptoms or fever. Opinion: How did COVID-19 start? "[There are] adults who have had fevers of almost 40 degrees Centigrade [104 degrees Fahrenheit]," Dr. Rutherford told Health. The potential for the virus to be transmitted via the fecal-oral route presents additional challenges for areas . The CDC recommends getting the flu shot before theend of October; adults 65 and older should ask forthe high-dose version. 2023 Dotdash Media, Inc. All rights reserved, Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. People who are mixing socially and those who are unvaccinated are more susceptible to contracting COVID-19. At Atrium Health hospitals, where Dr. Passarettti works, hospitalizations due to the BA.5 variant spiked in mid-2022. If you suspect Omicron infection, be sure to get tested as soon as possible. Your session has expired, please login again. What should you do if you think you have Omicron? "You will still be eligible for the upcoming fall booster that will have modifications to improve its effect against newer variants. Very sick patients often feel short of breath, says Dr. Lisa Salamon, an emergency physician with Scarborough Health Network in Toronto. While the research continues to evolve, so far, it shows that vaccinated people are less likely to go on and have long COVID. While vaccine immunity helps lower the severity of infection, it doesnt offer complete protection. Remove some to bookmark this image. All rights reserved, Judge: Oxford Schools, Staff Immune From Lawsuits Stemming From Michigan School Shooting, CTA Continues Efforts to Adapt Electric Buses to Winter's Challenges, how long should you quarantine with covid, New Ranking Names Most Expensive Cities In Illinois and These Chicago Suburbs Top the List, Chicago Suburb Lands on List of Happiest Places to Live,' Another Midwest City Makes Top 10, Stomach Bug Cases Surging, Sending People to Emergency Rooms in Chicago Area, Inmate Beaten to Death in Maximum Security Wing of Cook County Jail, Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone. Every new COVID-19 variant raises questions about how the symptoms from a new type might affect our health, and the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants are no different. " Researchers around the world are working tirelessly to learn everything they can about this newest iteration of the virus, which boasts a "Frankenstein mix" of mutations, including more than 30 on the all-important spike protein. Loss of appetite. A study by the U.K.'s Health Security Agency comparing symptoms of omicron and delta found the occurrence of nausea and vomiting was about the same with both variants. The U.S. CDC has highlighted the variety of Covid symptoms that have been reported, noting "anyone can have mild to severe symptoms" that may appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus . Do Bivalent Boosters Protect Against XBB.1.5? New confusion. World health leaders are warning that omicron, the new COVID variant discovered in November, could cause "severe consequences. But Passaretti has heard that people with BA.5 or Omicron may experience worse fevers and sore throats. According to the CDC, the most common symptoms of any variant of COVID-19 are: Fever or chills. Omicron symptoms can look like flu and cold symptoms and cause headache, sore throat and runny nose. In Pfizer and Moderna's clinical trials for the BA.1 shots, participants who were already fully vaccinated with a booster shot received an updated booster dose. CDC recommends the first COVID-19 booster. Moreover, though they tend to cause less severe infections as compared to their predecessors, some symptoms seem to be common. Sneezing. Persistent pain or pressure in the chest. So, an increase in the number of children affected is expected. "If you do have the option, please use the virtual ED type of models to speak to a provider who can give you some advice about whether you need to head in or not," she said. Diarrhea was slightly more . The best masks are N95s or equivalents, such as Canadian-made FN95 masks, as well as KN95s and KF94s. Here's what to do if you think you have Omicron and when you might need to go to the hospital. Government officials are racing to collect new information on how current vaccines stack up in protecting Americans from the spread of BA.2.12.1, alongside its genetic characteristics that sets it apart from other SARS-CoV-2 viruses. Headache. An increase in new cases is being linked to common symptoms related to this highly contagious variant, which may be indistinguishable from other seasonal conditions this spring. AARP Membership LIMITED TIME FLASH SALE. Those who are unvaccinated, however, are experiencing similar symptoms to early on in the pandemic, Arwady said. The four most common symptoms of the omicron variant are cough, fatigue, congestion and runny nose, according to a CDC analysis of the first 43 cases investigated in the . Cold-like symptoms - including a runny nose, sore throat and persistent sneezing - became more common, along with a headache and cough, particularly in people who had been vaccinated. How to Protect Against the Omicron Variant, Expect new treatments, more testing and additional variants, Using letters of the alphabet simplifies tracking, Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term -43% off the standard annual rate, Access exclusive discounts, programs, & services, Double down with a FREE second membership. From the symptoms to how it spreads, everything about this variant was different from its predecessors. ; And how to prevent infection by the BA.2.12.1 strain. "In children, Omicron can lead to gastrointestinal illnesses with symptoms including high fever, diarrhea, and vomiting, which may cause dehydration. Tweet. THE Omicron variant is bringing up a number of unusual symptoms as it spreads across the UK - one of those could be a nasty case of diarrhoea. Wearing a mask is not really that hard; getting a vaccine and getting a booster is, for most people now, fairly accessible, she said. List of omicron variant symptoms. Flashback: Gastrointestinal symptoms have been mentioned as possible symptoms before. "Often the sore throat is the kind of [first] symptom, and then the rest kind of come on.". The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people who test positive for COVID-19 need . For those patients with asthma who are having a wheeze with this, we may prescribe puffers for them to help out," she said. Sore throat. Sore, scratchy throat . CBC Marketplace tested KN95 and KF94 masks sold online and at big box stores. Oughton cautions that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control recently warned about counterfeit respirators, like N95 masks, and says he wouldn't be surprised if Canadians experience the same problems. Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. Not only are the symptoms from a BA.4 and BA.5 infection similar to other Omicron variants, but they also seem to have a similar severity, Dr. Passaretti and Dr. Rutherford said. Here are things you can do | CBC Radio Loaded. Others say it's trivial.". That said, lots of different factors can affect the severity of symptoms, the CDC says, and vaccination status is one of them. Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone. But if your oxygen levels drop and you start to feel dizzy or short of breath, you may need to get treatment for COVID-19 at a hospital. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), the most common symptoms of BA.5 are: Omicron and its subvariants are highly contagious theyre even known for reinfecting people who recently got over COVID-19. The evidence so far, according to Poehling, is anecdotal and not based on scientific research. These two new subtypes made up the majority of COVID cases in 2022, according to the CDC data tracker page. Sign up now:Get smarter about your money and career with our weekly newsletter, Get Make It newsletters delivered to your inbox, Learn more about the world of CNBC Make It, 2023 CNBC LLC. So far, research shows that its more transmissible and causes less severe disease than earlier variants, like Delta. A multicenter study in 2022 looked at 1672 hospitalized COVID-19 positive . Overall, the symptoms for COVID reported by the CDC include: The CDC also has what it calls a "coronavirus self checker" that allows people to answer a series of questions to determine if they should seek medical care. "People said, 'It's the worst sore throat I've ever had.' Salamon also noted it's important for people who are seriously ill withCOVID,or another medical condition,to seek care at the hospital without hesitation. "You should get tested for COVID-19 if you develop any of the 11 known COVID symptoms," says Dr . In fact, the most common omicron variant symptoms so far include muscle aches, fatigue, scratchy throat and night sweats, which are not overly severe, as I wrote for the Deseret News. Babcock says that new data shows that people who were vaccinated and got infected with a previous variant of the virus had a much lower risk of long COVID than unvaccinated people who got infected. COVID-19 cases have been on the rise in the U.S., driven by an uptick in infections caused by the BA.2.12.1 subvariant most of which may not be diagnosed as early as possible due to a lack of testing, explains Sachin Nagrani, M.D., medical director at care provider Heal. Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness, Accenture exec says, How this 39-year-old earns $26,000 a year in California. But it's also crucial to remember that no two COVID-19 illnesses are the same; it's entirely possible that an infection triggered by BA.2.12.1 may lead to early upper respiratory symptoms that resemble a cold or reaction to allergies, or it may simply present any of the other known COVID-19 symptoms entirely (including fatigue alone!). New Covid Boosters Were Released Before Human TestingBut Experts Say They're Still Safe, What to Know About COVID Reinfections as BA.5 Cases Continue to Rise, What You Should Know About BA.2, a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For those without symptoms, CDC guidance states they are considered contagious at least two days before their positive test. The omicron subvariant of COVID-19, BA.5, became one of the dominant strains of the virus in the fall of 2022 in the U.S. At that time, it was the most easily spread strain to date and is able to evade immunity from COVID infection and vaccination. Any combination, and varying levels of severity, of the following symptoms may be triggered by an Omicron SARS-CoV-2 infection. You may not lose your sense of . Fever. Fatigue or body aches . "We aren't seeing at this point in timealthough we continue to monitor closelya steep increase in our number of ICU stays or deaths from COVID," Dr. Passaretti said. "Be mindful of your symptoms and test early for COVID so that you can take steps to protect others from infection, especially as it relates to events like these. 2021;34(10):666-668. doi:10.1089/vim.2021.0126. Anyone exhibiting symptoms should get tested for COVID-19. And what are some of the first signs of an infection? Intelligence agencies have mixed opinions. congestion or runny nose. WATCH | Tips for treatingyour Omicron symptoms: If you can, it's important to get vaccinated or boosted. Seventy-four percent reported fatigue. But at 92 per cent, we'd be wanting you to come in for further examination," she said. As with the symptoms themselves, it was too early as of September 2022 to tell just how severely the variants might affect patients. So can other COVID-19 complaints like headache and muscle pain. How to prevent infection by the BA.2.12.1 subvariant: Communities can avoid major complications and deaths from the BA.4 and BA.5 variants the same way as with any other variant. 2022. doi:10.1101/2021.12.31.21268583, Arnold CG, Monte AA, Littlefield K, Vest A, Palmer BE. Peter Gulick, DO, an associate professor of medicine at Michigan State University, told Verywell that the symptoms of Omicron mainly remain in the upper respiratory tract and can include a sore throat, congestion, runny nose and headache. Although milder symptoms are better in many respects, omicron has made itmore difficult for people to tellwhats COVID-19 and whats just a cold or the flu or a whole host of other respiratory illnesses that circulate this time of year. "At the moment, we don't have medications that we can prescribe that someone can take at home. Looks like you have exceeded the limit to bookmark the image. Any combination, and varying levels of severity, of the following symptoms may be triggered by an Omicron SARS-CoV-2 infection. According to the Zoe health app, COVID diarrhea can last for up to seven days. But unlike delta, many patients are not losing their taste or smell. sore throat. The CDC reports that people's most common complaints when infected with Omicron include cough, runny nose, congestion, and fatigue. Did Woody Harrelson promote a COVID-19 anti-vaccine theory on Saturday Night Live? diarrhea. Omicron BA.5 May Increase the Risk of Outdoor TransmissionHere's How to Stay Safe. Let's delve deeper to understand this: Zoe COVID app, which keeps track of COVID symptoms through positive patients using the app, notified that most Omicron patients complain of diarrhea. Together, the evidence shows a potential roadmap for the side effects you can expect after getting one of the new boosters, and how severe those side effects might be. A U.K. study of around 750,000 people found recently that the top five symptoms for both the Delta and Omicron variants are currently a runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and a sore throat . We reserve the right to close comments at any time. "And in that five-to-seven-day window, you know, there's some depending on whether people have been vaccinated, underlying conditions, etc., but the risk drops a lot and the feeling is that in the general population, combined with masking, etc. "That's good because they're not getting seriously sick, they're not threatening the healthcare system, but it's certainly of some concern because they do have the potential to transmit to others.". "We just don't have any data on this [yet], essentially giving two vaccines in one shot but biologically, I just wouldn't expect the side effects, severity or the safety profile of the shots to be different from the current mRNA vaccines and boosters," Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and member of an independent advisory group to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, tells CNBC Make It. Johnson and Campbell note that there have been some reports of higher rates of upper respiratory tract symptoms with omicron, including sore throat and nasal congestion.