Symptoms of Omicron can be similar to the original COVID-19 virus and other variants, which can include a combination of the following: fever, cough, congestion, runny nose, headache, sore throat, muscle pains/aches and fatigue. “Fever, cough and headache look to be the most common symptoms from the current data.
How long do omicron symptoms last? Most people who test positive with any variant of COVID-19 typically experience some symptoms for a couple weeks.
"One new feature of cases caused by this variant is that it seems to be causing conjunctivitis, or red and itchy eyes, in young patients. This is not something that we've seen with prior strains of the virus," Dr. Binnicker adds. Red itchy eyes in young patients are symptoms of the new omicron variant.
Delta variant symptoms are the same
Typically, vaccinated people are either asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms if they contract the delta variant. Their symptoms are more like those of a common cold, such as cough, fever or headache, with the addition of significant loss of smell.
“Fever, cough and headache look to be the most common symptoms from the current data. However, especially if you are vaccinated and boosted, and your immune system has been primed to fight COVID-19, some people may experience minimal to no symptoms when infected with the new Omicron variant,” says Dr.
When do omicron subvariant symptoms start? The time it takes for an infected person to develop symptoms after an exposure is shorter for the omicron variant than for previous variants — from a full week down to as little as three days or less, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For those without any underlying health issues, treating omicron is primarily supportive, similar to previous variants. Both Campbell and Johnson recommended using acetaminophen (Tylenol) when needed for symptoms that include headache, muscle aches or fever.
Your infectiousness is highest 1 day before the start of your symptoms and begins to wane about a week later for most people. The Omicron variant has a shorter incubation period, compared to other variants. For the Omicron variant, the incubation period is 1 to 4 days.
Norway reported a similar median Omicron incubation period of 3 days (4). A study from Hong Kong, despite a small sample size (n = 13), similarly reported the estimated mean serial interval of BA.
An antibody test may not show if you have a current infection, because it can take 1 to 3 weeks after the infection for your body to make antibodies.
You are most infectious (or contagious) in the first 5 days after your symptoms start. You can also spread COVID-19 in the 48 hours before your symptoms start. If you never have symptoms, consider yourself most infectious in the 5 days after you test positive.
Is it possible to get Omicron twice? The Omicron variant spreads easier than other variants of coronavirus, and people can get it twice. Reinfection is possible even if a person has already had this virus or is fully vaccinated.
You can pass on the infection to others, even if you have no symptoms. Most people with COVID-19 will no longer be infectious to others after 5 days. If you have a positive COVID-19 test result, try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days after the day you took your test.
The time from exposure to symptom onset (known as the incubation period) is thought to be two to 14 days. Symptoms typically appeared within five days for early variants, and within four days for the Delta variant. The incubation period appears to be even shorter – about three days – for the Omicron variant.
Some people can test positive for COVID-19 for weeks or even months on PCR tests, but there is good news: people are not likely to be contagious for that long from a single infection, even if they test positive, and therefore are unlikely to transmit the virus to others.
You can have COVID-19 and spread it to others even if you do not have symptoms. Your COVID-19 test can be negative even if you are infected. Most people do not test positive for the virus until days after exposure. You may also be exposed to the virus afteryou are tested and then get infected.
How long does a COVID-19 sore throat last? Most symptoms of COVID-19 last anywhere from several days to 2 weeks. But this can vary from person to person. COVID sore throat usually starts feeling better after a week, though it may take a little longer to completely go away.
Keep in mind that if a person tests negative for COVID-19 but still exhibits symptoms, they may have another virus like the flu or a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which a COVID-19 test would not pick up.
If you see any line on your COVID test, err on the side of caution and take precautions to avoid spreading the virus to others. While a dark line that shows up quickly is a sign that there's more virus in your body, even a faint line can be positive (and may turn darker if you test again in the coming days).
You can spread COVID-19 to others starting a couple days before you have any symptoms, and even if you never have symptoms. If you spend time close to someone with COVID-19, you may have it too, but you may not know it.
Compared with the original “wild type” COVID-19 virus, which had an average incubation period of 6.65 days, the incubation period for subsequent variants shortened. The Alpha variant's incubation period was 5.0 days. The Beta variant's was 4.50 days. The Delta variant's was 4.41 days.
But some people may be infectious for up to 10 days. Symptoms in children and babies are milder than those in adults, and some infected kids may not show any signs of being unwell. People who experience more serious illness may take weeks to recover. Symptoms may continue for several weeks after infection.
You may be infectious for up to 10 days. You are most infectious in the 2 days before your symptoms start and while you have acute symptoms (such as a runny nose, sore throat, fever, cough).
People with moderate or severe COVID-19 should isolate through at least day 10. Those with severe COVID-19 may remain infectious beyond 10 days and may need to extend isolation for up to 20 days.