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florida80 · 02-10-2022

Omicron infection: What are the symptoms?

As infections of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — continue to spread around the world, there have been reports that symptoms, in some respects, are different from those of Delta variant infections. Do symptoms really differ? What should you look out for?

What do we know about the symptoms of an infection with the Omicron variant? Image credit: Pierre Crom/Getty Images.
All data and statistics are based on publicly available data at the time of publication. Some information may be out of date. Visit our coronavirus hub and follow our live updates page for the most recent information on the COVID-19 pandemic.

On November 26, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated a new SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern, which became known as OmicronTrusted Source.

The variant has caused concern among health authorities because it appears to be highly transmissibleTrusted Source and likelier to reinfect.

There have also been some worries that Omicron can bypass the protection conferred by COVID-19 vaccines. Pfizer maintains that three doses of its mRNA vaccine are able to neutralize Omicron in laboratory experiments and that two doses may still prevent serious illness following infection with this variant.

Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment.

For these reasons, countries worldwide have been taking various measures and precautions to reduce the spread of Omicron among their populations.

Nevertheless, within a world in constant motion, it may be impossible to stop it from spreading altogether. Some cause for optimism may be that various reports suggest that infections with this variant tend to cause milder symptoms than those with previous SARS-CoV-2 variants, such as Delta.

But how can someone tell if they have the Omicron infection? Are the symptoms the same as those of infections with previous variants?

What symptoms does Omicron cause?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists the possible symptomsTrusted Source of a SARS-CoV-2 infection without specifying a variant. These are:

fever or chills
cough
shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
fatigue
muscle or body aches
headache
new loss of taste or smell
sore throat
congestion or runny nose
nausea or vomiting
diarrhea
However, the CDC notes this list is not exhaustive, and people might experience different symptoms or combinations of symptoms. Furthermore, anecdotal reports on social media and other platforms claim that more specific combinations of symptoms characterize Omicron infections.

The Zoe COVID Study — conducted by researchers from health science company ZOE and King’s College London in the United Kingdom — uses data from over 4,000,000 participants.

The study’s recent analysis aimed to determine whether there were any differences between the most common symptoms of infection with the Delta variant and the most common symptoms of infection with Omicron.

They compared symptoms reported via the Zoe COVID Study app by U.K. participants who tested positive for COVID-19 in October 2021, when Delta was dominant in the U.K., with those who tested positive in December 2021 when Omicron had become the dominant variant.

Preliminary analysis indicated that the most commonly reported symptoms reported in both months were largely the same: a runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and a sore throat.

The findings suggest no strong differences in the most commonly experienced symptoms likely caused by the two SARS-CoV-2 variants.

However, according to this self-reported data, the ZOE scientists also note that loss of smell and taste appear to be less common among people recently testing positive for COVID-19.

Does it affect the lungs?
Medical News Today spoke to Dr. David M. Cutler, family physician at Saint John’s Physician Partners in Santa Monica, CA, to find out more about doctors’ advice regarding symptoms of an Omicron infection.

Dr. Cutler reiterated that symptoms vary and may not stand out in any particular way, compared to signs of infection with previous variants.

“The variety of symptoms seen with Omicron is the same as with other SARS-CoV-2 variants,” he said. “It seems quite notable that people affected by the same variant may experience quite different symptoms. Some get nasal stuffiness, others headache, sometimes body aches, and others get a sore throat.”

However, he noted, “[s]erious lung infections appear to be less likely with Omicron than [with] prior variants.”

That may be because, unlike other variants, Omicron preferentially infects the upper respiratory tract. This may also be why it seems to cause milder symptoms, according to WHO Incident Manager Abdi Mahamud.

“We are seeing more and more studies pointing out that Omicron is infecting the upper part of the body. Unlike the other ones, that could cause severe pneumonia,” he says, though cautions that more studies are necessary to confirm this.

02-10-2022	#1357
florida80 R11 Tuyệt Thế Thiên Hạ Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 113,793 Thanks: 7,446 Thanked 47,181 Times in 13,137 Posts Mentioned: 1 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s) Quoted: 511 Post(s) Rep Power: 162	Omicron infection: What are the symptoms? As infections of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — continue to spread around the world, there have been reports that symptoms, in some respects, are different from those of Delta variant infections. Do symptoms really differ? What should you look out for? What do we know about the symptoms of an infection with the Omicron variant? Image credit: Pierre Crom/Getty Images. All data and statistics are based on publicly available data at the time of publication. Some information may be out of date. Visit our coronavirus hub and follow our live updates page for the most recent information on the COVID-19 pandemic. On November 26, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated a new SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern, which became known as OmicronTrusted Source. The variant has caused concern among health authorities because it appears to be highly transmissibleTrusted Source and likelier to reinfect. There have also been some worries that Omicron can bypass the protection conferred by COVID-19 vaccines. Pfizer maintains that three doses of its mRNA vaccine are able to neutralize Omicron in laboratory experiments and that two doses may still prevent serious illness following infection with this variant. Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment. For these reasons, countries worldwide have been taking various measures and precautions to reduce the spread of Omicron among their populations. Nevertheless, within a world in constant motion, it may be impossible to stop it from spreading altogether. Some cause for optimism may be that various reports suggest that infections with this variant tend to cause milder symptoms than those with previous SARS-CoV-2 variants, such as Delta. But how can someone tell if they have the Omicron infection? Are the symptoms the same as those of infections with previous variants? What symptoms does Omicron cause? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists the possible symptomsTrusted Source of a SARS-CoV-2 infection without specifying a variant. These are: fever or chills cough shortness of breath or difficulty breathing fatigue muscle or body aches headache new loss of taste or smell sore throat congestion or runny nose nausea or vomiting diarrhea However, the CDC notes this list is not exhaustive, and people might experience different symptoms or combinations of symptoms. Furthermore, anecdotal reports on social media and other platforms claim that more specific combinations of symptoms characterize Omicron infections. The Zoe COVID Study — conducted by researchers from health science company ZOE and King’s College London in the United Kingdom — uses data from over 4,000,000 participants. The study’s recent analysis aimed to determine whether there were any differences between the most common symptoms of infection with the Delta variant and the most common symptoms of infection with Omicron. They compared symptoms reported via the Zoe COVID Study app by U.K. participants who tested positive for COVID-19 in October 2021, when Delta was dominant in the U.K., with those who tested positive in December 2021 when Omicron had become the dominant variant. Preliminary analysis indicated that the most commonly reported symptoms reported in both months were largely the same: a runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and a sore throat. The findings suggest no strong differences in the most commonly experienced symptoms likely caused by the two SARS-CoV-2 variants. However, according to this self-reported data, the ZOE scientists also note that loss of smell and taste appear to be less common among people recently testing positive for COVID-19. Does it affect the lungs? Medical News Today spoke to Dr. David M. Cutler, family physician at Saint John’s Physician Partners in Santa Monica, CA, to find out more about doctors’ advice regarding symptoms of an Omicron infection. Dr. Cutler reiterated that symptoms vary and may not stand out in any particular way, compared to signs of infection with previous variants. “The variety of symptoms seen with Omicron is the same as with other SARS-CoV-2 variants,” he said. “It seems quite notable that people affected by the same variant may experience quite different symptoms. Some get nasal stuffiness, others headache, sometimes body aches, and others get a sore throat.” However, he noted, “[s]erious lung infections appear to be less likely with Omicron than [with] prior variants.” That may be because, unlike other variants, Omicron preferentially infects the upper respiratory tract. This may also be why it seems to cause milder symptoms, according to WHO Incident Manager Abdi Mahamud. “We are seeing more and more studies pointing out that Omicron is infecting the upper part of the body. Unlike the other ones, that could cause severe pneumonia,” he says, though cautions that more studies are necessary to confirm this.