What Are the Symptoms of Omicron?
By Melinda Wenner Moyer, Published Dec. 21, 2021, Updated Jan. 3, 2022
With cases of Omicron rising throughout the United States, before and after the holidays, Americans are scrambling to distinguish the symptoms of this new variant from those of other coronavirus variants, including Delta.
Most P.C.R. and rapid antigen tests can detect Omicron — the Food and Drug Administration has noted there are only a few tests that don’t — but results do not indicate to the user which variant they are infected with, leaving people to guess.
Can Omicron symptoms be distinguished from Delta symptoms?
Some symptom differences have emerged from preliminary data, but experts are not certain they are meaningful. Data released in December from South Africa’s largest private health insurer, for instance, suggest that South Africans with Omicron often develop a scratchy or sore throat along with nasal congestion, a dry cough and muscle pain, especially low back pain.
But these are all symptoms of Delta and of the original coronavirus, too, said Ashley Z. Ritter, an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania and the chief executive of Dear Pandemic. Given that Omicron has been circulating for only a matter of weeks, she added, “it’s still too early to say that there’s any difference in symptoms between the Omicron variant and previous versions.”
These numbers show just how impactful the latest COVID-19 surge is
December 27, 20214:37 PM ET, NPR, DANA FARRINGTON, SCOTT NEUMAN, DANIEL WOOD
COVID-19 cases are up across the country, fueled in large part by the highly contagious omicron variant.
Even with a surge in cases and a scramble for more testing, a smaller percentage of infected people are winding up in the hospital with COVID-19 symptoms compared to earlier strains.
Dr. Robert Wachter at the University of California, San Francisco, tells NPR's Michaeleen Doucleff that the lower hospitalization rate is likely due to two things: greater immunity among the public from vaccines and prior coronavirus infection, and that omicron might be slightly less severe than delta.
Vaccines don't stop infections with omicron, but they do reduce the risk of hospitalization by about 70% — with a booster shot, that figure is even higher.
However, Wachter cautions: "If you're a person who has no immunity at all, no vaccination and no prior infection or your prior infection was a year and a half ago and it was mild, you're not out of the woods."
"There is a reasonable chance that you will get very sick with omicron," he says.
Answers to your questions about getting tested for Omicron
New York Times. By Tara Parker-Pope, Dani Blum and Nicole Stock, Dec. 24, 2021
Testing is essential to stopping the spread of Omicron. But nearly two years into the pandemic, many people are still confused about the best way to get tested for Covid-19, or frustrated that they can’t find a test.
Stores have run out of home tests, and long lines at testing centers have made it difficult for people to find out quickly if they are infected. We asked public health experts for answers to some common questions about coronavirus testing during the Omicron surge. Here’s what they had to say.
What’s the difference between a rapid antigen test and a lab-based P.C.R. test?
Virus tests all use a sample collected from the nose, throat or mouth that may be sent away to a lab or processed within minutes at home.
An antigen test hunts for pieces of coronavirus proteins. Most rapid home antigen tests work sort of like a pregnancy test — if virus antigens are detected in the sample, a line on a paper test strip turns dark. The tests are highly reliable for telling you if you’re spreading the virus on the day you take the test, but a single test won’t tell you that you definitely don’t have coronavirus. The main advantage of the test is that it’s fast, and can be used to lower the risk of small indoor gatherings.
A laboratory molecular test, also known as the P.C.R., or polymerase chain reaction, test, uses a technique that looks for bits of the virus’s genetic material — similar to a detective looking for DNA at a crime scene. This test is considered the gold standard of coronavirus testing because of its ability to detect even very small amounts of viral material. A positive result from a P.C.R. test almost certainly means you’re infected with the virus. The downside is that the typical turnaround time is one to three days, and during the current Omicron surge, people seeking tests are waiting in long lines and some centers are running out of tests.
Is one type of test better than the other?
Virus tests are categorized based on what they look for: molecular tests, which look for the virus’s genetic material, and antigen tests that look for viral proteins. But comparing rapid antigen tests and lab tests (also known as P.C.R. tests) is sort of like comparing an X-ray to an M.R.I. scan. Both tests are reliable, serve unique purposes and can be useful at different times. The advantage of an X-ray is that it’s cheap, fast and pretty good at spotting obvious problems. An M.R.I. takes much longer and costs a lot more but gives you a more precise look at what’s going on in the body.
The advantage of rapid antigen tests, whether they are taken at home or at a testing center, is that they are fast, relatively cheap and are highly reliable for telling you right now if you’re spreading the virus. A P.C.R. test is more sensitive and will identify an infection sooner, but it takes more time to get the result. Both tests are useful, but with a fast-spreading variant like Omicron, a rapid test can prompt someone to isolate a few days sooner, sparing others from your germs.
When is the best time to take a rapid home test before seeing family for the holidays?
Home tests can tell you whether you are infected with coronavirus right now. So you should test as close as possible to the time of the gathering, preferably about an hour or two before everyone gets together, advises Dr. Ashish K. Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.
Dr. Michael Mina, a former Harvard epidemiologist who is now the chief science officer for eMed, a company that distributes at-home tests, advises an even tighter testing window. He suggests you take the test in your car just 15 minutes before the event, if that’s practical.
While it’s important to test on the same day of the event, if you have extra time or extra tests, two tests over a few days are better than one. A few days before your party, try getting a lab test or take a rapid test, and then make sure you test again on the day of the event.
A negative test does not lower your risk to zero. But taking a test does significantly reduce the risk that someone at your gathering will transmit the virus. “A test will not protect you from getting infected,” said Dr. Mina. “A test will protect you from infecting other people.”
What if I can’t find home tests before the holidays?
The most important precaution is that everyone at the party who is eligible be fully vaccinated and have a booster shot. But since even vaccinated people can spread Omicron, rapid testing a few hours before an event adds another layer of protection and can prevent an infected person from unknowingly spreading the virus at the gathering.
But if you can’t find rapid home tests, everyone should try to get a lab test as close as possible to the event, timing it so you get the results back before you see everyone. “Any test is better than no test,” said Mara Aspinall, an expert in biomedical diagnostics at Arizona State University who is also on the board of OraSure, which makes rapid Covid tests.
I have symptoms but tested negative on a rapid test. Am I in the clear?
No. If you start to feel Covid symptoms, especially if you live in an area with high case numbers, you should assume that you have the virus, at least until you’ve tested negative at least twice over a few days. Early symptoms in a vaccinated person may be a sign that the body is fighting the virus, and it’s possible the viral load isn’t yet high enough to turn a rapid test positive. “Take symptoms seriously,” said Dr. Mina. “Our bodies are giving us an early warning signal.”
If you have symptoms and your rapid home test is negative, it’s still a good idea to try getting a lab-based P.C.R. test, which may find the virus sooner. If that test is also negative, it’s unlikely you have Covid. But if you have any respiratory symptoms, you still should stay home. In addition to Covid, you can also ask to be tested for two other potentially serious viral illnesses — influenza (the flu) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) — which are also circulating.
Understanding Test Results
What does an “indeterminate” result mean?
While it’s unclear how often it happens, some people who get tested for Covid at a hospital or testing center receive an “indeterminate” test result. If this happens to you, you should not assume you are negative. You should retake the test, at a different testing site if possible.
Indeterminate results happen for a variety reasons. Sometimes the sample itself is inadequate for testing. In some cases, a mistake in processing or a machine calibration issue can lead to an indeterminate result. And sometimes it happens because the patient’s viral load is so low, it doesn’t create a true positive result.
Should I retest if I got a positive result on a home test?
If your rapid test is positive, you should assume that you have Covid. If you have reason to doubt the result, you can take a second test. False positives aren’t common, but they can happen. Most experts say they would isolate after a positive rapid test, but they would also get a confirmatory test from a lab. Getting the confirming lab test means your positive result will be documented in your medical records, which could speed things along if a patient needs additional treatments or develops Covid-related health issues in the future.
My lab test result is different than my rapid test. Which test is right?
It’s possible to test negative on a rapid test and test positive on a P.C.R. test. Both results may be correct, even if they disagree. The reason is that the tests are looking for different things. Rapid tests look for antigens indicating you’re infectious. A negative test indicates you’re not spreading coronavirus right now. A lab-based P.C.R. test is more sensitive and can tell you sooner if you’ve been infected with coronavirus. It’s possible for a P.C.R. test to detect coronavirus when you’re not infectious.
With omicron, you need a mask that means business
December 23, 20215:00 AM ET, NPR, MARIA GODOY
With another coronavirus variant racing across the U.S., once again health authorities are urging people to mask up indoors. Yes, you've heard it all before. But given how contagious omicron is, experts say, it's seriously time to upgrade to an N95 or similar high-filtration respirator when you're in public indoor spaces.
"Cloth masks are not going to cut it with omicron," says Linsey Marr, a researcher at Virginia Tech who studies how viruses transmit in the air.
Omicron is so much more transmissible than coronavirus variants that have come before it. It spreads at least three times faster than delta. One person is infecting at least three others at a time on average, based on data from other countries.
Given all this, you want a mask that means business when it comes to blocking viral particles. Unlike cloth masks, N95, KN95 and KF94 respirators are all made out of material with an electrostatic charge, which "actually pulls these particles in as they're floating around and prevents you from inhaling those particles," Karan notes. "And that really is key" — because if you don't inhale virus particles, they can't multiply in your respiratory tract.
As to when to wear a mask, obviously you want to cover up when you're using public transit, including airports and airplanes, and when you're indoors in grocery stores or other public places, as with previous surges. Check to see whether where you live has a lot of cases — most places do right now.
Wachter says he's also covering up indoors with small groups of friends and family unless everyone is vaccinated and boosted. If they're not boosted, he says, "I consider them to be somewhere between vaccinated and unvaccinated, and I act appropriately if I'm going to be around them." That means he either has everyone mask up, or he has everyone take a rapid test to make sure no one is infectious at that moment. "One or the other." This is especially important if anyone attending is high-risk.
Omicron Symptoms: How They Compare with Other Coronavirus Variants
Healthline, Dec. 16, 2021
So far, symptoms from the Omicron variant appear to be similar to other coronavirus variants. Willie B. Thomas/Getty Images
Experts say the Omicron variant appears to have symptoms similar to other coronavirus variants.
They say fever, cough, and shortness of breath are among the symptoms. So are muscle aches.
However, some people who have been diagnosed with Omicron so far don’t report a significant loss of taste and smell.
Experts say Omicron symptoms appear to be relatively mild so far.
However, experts note that could help the virus spread, because people might not get tested and transmit the virus unknowingly.
Omicron may multiply 70 times faster than delta; new variant dominant in Disney World county: Latest COVID-19 updates
John Bacon Jorge L. Ortiz Celina Tebor USA TODAY, Dec. 16, 2021
The omicron variant multiplies 70 times faster in the human bronchial tubes than the initial COVID-19 infection or the delta variant, according to a new study from the University of Hong Kong.
The lightning-fast spread within people may explain why the variant may transmit faster among humans than previous versions, the researchers say. Their study also showed the omicron infection in the lung is significantly lower than the original SARS-CoV-2, which may be an indicator of lower disease severity. The research is currently under peer review for publication.
"Taken together with our recent studies showing that the omicron variant can partially escape immunity from vaccines and past infection, the overall threat from omicron variant is likely to be very significant," he said.
Booster doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are likely to offer substantial protection from Omicron, Fauci says
Sheryl Gay Stolberg, NY Times, Dec. 12, 2021
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned recently that the percentage of coronavirus cases in the United States caused by the Omicron variant has increased sharply, and may portend a significant surge in infections as soon as next month. The Delta variant remains by far the dominant version across the United States.
Citing a study from Britain that showed that two shots of Pfizer vaccine were 40 percent effective against Omicron, but that effectiveness rose to 80 percent after a third shot.
The message remains clear: If you are unvaccinated get vaccinated, and particularly in the arena of Omicron if you are fully vaccinated, get your booster shot.”
Omicron variant of the COVID 19 virus
South African scientist Tulio de Oliveira said at a media briefing Thursday that the omicron variant contains around 50 mutations but more than 30 of these are in the spike protein, the region of the protein that interacts with human cells prior to cell entry.
What’s more, the receptor binding domain — the part of the virus that first makes contact with our cells — has 10 mutations, far greater than just two for the delta Covid variant, which spread rapidly earlier this year to become the dominant strain worldwide.
Many of the mutations identified in the omicron variant are linked to increased antibody resistance, which may reduce the effectiveness of vaccines and affect how the virus behaves with regard to inoculation, treatments and transmissibility, health officials have said.
What we know about the Omicron variant.
1. The variant is a cause for concern, not a cause for panic.
2. it is not yet clear whether infection with the Omicron variant causes more severe disease compared to infections with other variants, including Delta
3. It is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible (e.g., more easily spread from person to person) compared to other variants, including Delta.
4. The best protection against Omicron is the vaccine.
5. Current treatments use for managing patients with severe COVID-19 still are effective. Other treatments will be assessed to see if they are still as effective given the changes to parts of the virus in the Omicron variant.
6. If vaccines need to be updated to fight Omicron, the US will act fast.
The WHO and the CDC recommends the following actions:
1. Get fully vaccinated.
2. If you have have had either the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine get a booster shot if you are 18 years or age or older. You can get any booster regardless of the type of initial vaccine you received (i.e. you can mix and match) If you had either the Pfizer of Moderna vaccine, get the booster six months or more after you have completed the recommended dosage. If you had the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, you may get a booster 2 months after the initial dose.
3. Wear a well-fitting mask when you are in public indoor places.
4. Social distance. keep a physical distance of at least 1 metre from others;
5. Open windows to improve ventilation; avoid poorly ventilated or crowded spaces;
6. Keep hands clean; cough or sneeze into a bent elbow or tissue.
World Health Organization. November 28, 2021 Statement
On 26 November 2021, WHO designated the variant B.1.1.529 a variant of concern, named Omicron, on the advice of WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE). This decision was based on the evidence presented to the TAG-VE that Omicron has several mutations that may have an impact on how it behaves, for example, on how easily it spreads or the severity of illness it causes. Here is a summary of what is currently known.
Current knowledge about Omicron
Researchers in South Africa and around the world are conducting studies to better understand many aspects of Omicron and will continue to share the findings of these studies as they become available.
Transmissibility: It is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible (e.g., more easily spread from person to person) compared to other variants, including Delta. The number of people testing positive has risen in areas of South Africa affected by this variant, but epidemiologic studies are underway to understand if it is because of Omicron or other factors.
Severity of disease: It is not yet clear whether infection with Omicron causes more severe disease compared to infections with other variants, including Delta. Preliminary data suggests that there are increasing rates of hospitalization in South Africa, but this may be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected, rather than a result of specific infection with Omicron. There is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with Omicron are different from those from other variants. Initial reported infections were among university students—younger individuals who tend to have more mild disease—but understanding the level of severity of the Omicron variant will take days to several weeks. All variants of COVID-19, including the Delta variant that is dominant worldwide, can cause severe disease or death, in particular for the most vulnerable people, and thus prevention is always key.
Effectiveness of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection
Preliminary evidence suggests there may be an increased risk of reinfection with Omicron (ie, people who have previously had COVID-19 could become reinfected more easily with Omicron), as compared to other variants of concern, but information is limited. More information on this will become available in the coming days and weeks.
Effectiveness of vaccines: WHO is working with technical partners to understand the potential impact of this variant on our existing countermeasures, including vaccines. Vaccines remain critical to reducing severe disease and death, including against the dominant circulating variant, Delta. Current vaccines remain effective against severe disease and death.
Effectiveness of current tests: The widely used PCR tests continue to detect infection, including infection with Omicron, as we have seen with other variants as well. Studies are ongoing to determine whether there is any impact on other types of tests, including rapid antigen detection tests.
Effectiveness of current treatments: Corticosteroids and IL6 Receptor Blockers will still be effective for managing patients with severe COVID-19. Other treatments will be assessed to see if they are still as effective given the changes to parts of the virus in the Omicron variant.