what are the symptoms of stealth omicron

Our members are the frontline of patient care, expanding access to care for underserved patients and developing key prevention strategies. Dr. Gregory Huhn, an infectious disease physician and the COVID-19 vaccine coordinator for Cook County Health, noted that while omicron led to more upper respiratory symptoms, it remains too early to tell if BA.2 will continue that trend. According to Manish Naik, M.D., internal medicine physician at Austin Regional Clinic in Austin, Texas, this variant, which has been formally recognized by the World Health Organization, has the official name BA.2, whereas standard omicron is referred to as BA.1. BA.2 was initially detected in Canada, Australia, the U.K., and South Africa in December, and a few cases have more recently been discovered in the U.S., he says. According to The Daily Express, there are seven symptoms U.K. researchers have already associated with the new stealth Omicron variant: fever, extreme fatigue, coughing, sore throat, sore. This might be especially true given the fact that no research has indicated that the subvariant is any more likely to counteract the efficacy of our COVID vaccines. But experts say Omicron is unlikely to present it this way and have highlighted some symptoms that you should never ignore. But for some people, they will get infected with this new subvariant. If you are unvaccinated, the good news is that, now, all you need is the single, bivalent vaccine which covers the original strain together with Omicron variants. "Patients can also have gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, and loss of taste or loss of smell, although I've seen that a lot less with the newer variants," she said, noting that symptoms for BA.2 may also include muscle or body aches, headache, nausea or vomiting, and congestion. (January 05, 2023), WHO press conference on COVID-19 and other global health issues (March 29, 2023), Early Estimates of Bivalent mRNA Booster Dose Vaccine Effectiveness in Preventing Symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection Attributable to Omicron BA.5 and XBB/XBB.1.5Related Sublineages Among Immunocompetent Adults Increasing Community Access to Testing Program, United States, December 2022January 2023 (January 25, 2023), Conjunctivitis a Symptom of COVID Variant Arcturus in India: What We Know (April 19, 2023), CDC Symptoms of COVID-19 (October 26, 2022), New COVID-19 variant 'Arcturus' is on the rise in US (April 24, 2023), FDA News Release: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Authorizes Changes to Simplify Use of Bivalent mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines (April 18, 2023), CDC: Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination (April 19, 2023). That is why its important to have people protected not just for the short-term illness, but from the issues that people can have for months and maybe even years after having COVID-19.. "If you have fever, in particular, and if you're sweating a lot, you're losing a lot of fluid.". "This may mean higher peak infections in places that have yet to peak, and a slowdown in the downward trends in places that have already experienced peak Omicron," Thomas Peacock, PhD, a virologist at Imperial College London, explain to The New York Times. But now, there is another concern on the horizon: the Omicron subvariant, BA.2. The stealth Omicron variant has already made its way around several countries including Denmark, India, Sweden, and Singapore, according to Verywell Health. I don't see this moving the dial significantly in terms of posing a new, huge problem.". iPhone or If you've had a COVID infection, we still want people to get vaccinated to provide them with even more protection against the variants that circulate. Emilia Benton is a Houston-based freelance writer and editor. We avoid using tertiary references. This analysis found no clear difference in the symptom profile of Delta and Omicron, with only 50% of people experiencing the classic three symptoms of fever, cough, or loss of sense of smell or taste. RELATED: These 4 New COVID Symptoms Could Mean You Have Omicron, Doctors Warn. Other experts say they don't feel like the emergence of the stealth Omicron variant is any cause for panic. Copyright 1995 - 2023 American Medical Association. The latest COVID variants are spreading faster with more breakthrough infections. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom described the global situation as dangerous and precarious and called for a new agreement on the handling of pandemics, as the current system disincentivizes countries from alerting others to threats that will inevitably land on their shores. Turn to the AMA for timely guidance on making the most of medical residency. "It's like when Omicron first hit. Mild fever, sore throat, malaise and body ache,. These 7 Symptoms Could Be Signs of the New "Stealth" Omicron Variant, These 4 New COVID Symptoms Could Mean You Have Omicron, Doctors Warn, For more up-to-date information, sign up for our "When we are sick and our body is taking care of the infection, we can get things like fever," Lee said. These symptoms are likely to appear within two to three days after being infected with the virus. daily newsletter, This One Symptom Could Be Your First Sign of Omicron, Doctors Warn. Experts Explain, Your Favorite Fried Food Could Be Causing Anxiety. Genetic . Even though WHO agrees that the knowledge about B.A2 is still developing, but this lineage is more diverse. It seems that these mutations will propel the transmissibility to about a 30% to 50% higher degree of contagiousness than the BA.1 variant," said Dr. Gregory Huhn, an infectious disease physician and the COVID-19 vaccine coordinator for Cook County Health. Dubbed as "stealth", the sub-variant of Omicron is concerning as they are hard to detect. These days, we still just recommend people get the vaccine if you haven't because there is protection against the current circulating virus, said Dr. Crum. Were seeing very low rates of positivity for coronavirus right now and were actually seeing more influenza, said Dr. Crum. Certainly, if you've had a COVID infection, let's say with BA.1, you would likely have some protection via natural immunity against BA.2, said Dr. Crum. According to The Daily Express, there are seven symptoms U.K. researchers have already associated with the new stealth Omicron variant: fever, extreme fatigue, coughing, sore throat, sore head, muscular fatigue, and an elevated heart rate. Review CPT codes for COVID-19 vaccines and immunizations. Learn more. One of the biggest concerns among health experts when it comes to BA.2 is the wrench it could throw into a swift exit from the omicron wave. There is no need to panic; public health agencies continue to track the variant closely. And while numbers in the country are still on the lower side, some virus experts have expressed concern that BA.2 could stall the progress that is being made in the U.S. Most vaccinated people either have no symptoms or exhibit very mild symptoms, according to health officials, and the virus rarely results in hospitalization or death for those individuals. While we aim to keep all of our stories up to date, please visit online resources provided by the CDC, WHO, and your local public health department to stay informed on the latest news. The concern is that people are discontinuing mask wearing, opening up venues and getting rid of a lot of the COVID-19 precautions, which may provide a foothold for this and future variants then to take off., We've been seeing a lot more of sore throat and pharyngitis that we didn't really see before, said Dr. Crum. But we do need to be careful because we still have quite a few unvaccinated people in the United States and if were going to take away masks and other preventive strategies, weve got to be cautious, she added. He claims a director asked him to undress. All Rights Reserved. "Last week in Denmark, BA.2 was about 60 percent of the cases. 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 As we've hit year three of the pandemic, the virus has mutated and changed over time, said Dr. Crum. Dr. Rohatsch completed his military service in the US Air Force and earned his MD from Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. Emerging research has been showing that Omicron is more likely to affect the upper respiratory tract instead of the lungs, unlike some prior versions of the virus, according to WHO. They also have BA.1 but it looks like BA.2 is replacing BA.1," Luban told the news outlet. The stealth Omicron variant could cause a number of symptoms. She is the President of Global Insight Advisory Network, and has a Masters degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. She noted that these symptoms may only reflect certain populations. Investigations into the characteristics of BA.2, including immune escape properties and virulence, should be prioritized independently (and comparatively) to BA.1, the agency added. In the first few days, we had a sequence, the sequence itself was terrifying, but it took time before we could find out if Omicron would be more pathogenic and infectious.". This has led to more questions. However, WHO says that the new subvariant has an additional mutation in its spike protein that increases its ability to transmit infections. According to a CNBC report, BA.2 has caused at least 127 COVID-19 cases in at least half of states in the U.S., but its spreading more rapidly in other areas. Health systems science is key to creating a new generation of physicians better equipped to deliver great team care. "By far, most of what we are seeing is BA.2," Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said Thursday. If you've already fallen ill with COVID-19 recently and learned you were impacted by Omicron specifically, you may be wondering if "stealth" Omicron could cause you to become sick once more. The third wave was driven by the Omicron Variant that was first detected in South Africa. The sub-variant has quickly earned a moniker the "stealth" Omicron variant as officials begin to learn more about its unique characteristics, explains Karen Edwards, Ph.D., professor and chair of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. I don't see this moving the dial significantly in terms of posing a new, huge problem.". Empirical data has said that this spread faster than the Omicron variant, which in itself had a higher transmissibility than Covid-19. In Denmark, for example, BA.2 is responsible for almost half of COVID-19 cases in the country, according to governmental research institute Statens Serum Institut. But there is still reason to be cautious. Dr. Crum noted that most experts say its 30% to 60% more transmissible, so its a riskespecially if it gets into a nonimmune populationto be able to skyrocket in terms of the number of cases. The holidays may have ended, but COVID continues to loom large. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Scientists are keeping an eye on it, but there's no reason to panic. The five most common Omicron symptoms, as reported by the ZOE Covid study, are as follows: Runny nose Headache Fatigue (mild or severe) Sneezing Sore throat Is stealth Omicron dangerous?. One of the things that's amazing about this virus is the different problems people have come in with, Dr. Crum said. None of us know. subvariant of Omicron is 1.5 and 4.2 times more infectious than BA.1 subvariants and Delta variants, respectively.19 It also revealed that it has a 30% higher chance of eluding cur-rent vaccinations than BA.1 and the reinfection capacity of the patients who had recovered from BA.1.19.19 BA.2 Omicron is also known as the stealth Omicron because its But now, there is another concern on the horizon: the Omicron subvariant, BA.2. But it's also already been reported in several U.S. states, including Washington, Texas, New York, New Mexico, Utah, and California, per NBC News. Read below for the BA.2 variant's symptoms. "I have not seen anything to indicate that the symptoms with BA.2 are different from BA.1," Dr. Edwards says. Mild or severe fatigue. According to Dr. Here's How Worried You Should Be About 'Stealth' Omicron, The Difference Between a Heart Attack and a Stroke. She is also an 11-time marathoner, a USATF Level 1-certified running coach, and an avid traveler. Knowing the signs of the stealth variant can help to detect the condition faster and take the right steps to avoid complications. So, we really haven't seen this variant take off. Still, omicron presented a shift in common symptoms for many. Its not like this variant has increased ability to evade vaccine-induced immunity, he says. There are two FAQs, one designed to answerpatientsquestions (PDF), and another to addressphysiciansCOVID-19 vaccine questions (PDF). The German-based GISAID Initiative indicates that BA.2 cases in the U.S. have remained at 100 cases in 20 different states as of this week, based on its public data. However, fortunately this variant is not more virulent in terms of causing more severe disease, she said. Thats why everyone coming in with any of those symptoms gets both a COVID test and an influenza test at the same time., If theres a question, you should test because its SARS-CoV-2 is a virus that we have treatment for and we know in this particular variant is very contagious, she said, emphasizing that it is important to know that its not just your allergies and you can go to your party tonight. New studies are showing that its symptoms are generally the same as other variants and remain mostly mild to moderate flu-like symptoms, especially if vaccinated. The omicron variant and its sublineages made the virus much more contagious and capable of infecting more people, but it's led to less severe disease, on average, than the delta variant . All rights reserved, I-55 Shut Down in Both Directions Due to Large Crash' Amid Dust Storm in South-Central Illinois, Tickets to Soldier Field Face-Off Between Chelsea and Dortmund Go on Sale, Portillo's Adds New Menu Item to Restaurants Nationwide and It's Now Available, How Much Could You Get in New $725M Facebook Settlement? The National Health Commission in China reported 1,337 locally transmitted cases in the latest 24-hour period, including 895 in the industrial province of Jilin. Additionally, the FDA recently approved a second booster shot for people who are above 65 or have compromised immunity.. Read more. Two years into the pandemic, a mutated version of the omicron variant, known as BA.2, has become the latest challenge to taming Covid-19. told Fortune in May that symptoms of the new subvariants are similar to typical Omicron . This fits with early data from the U.K. showing that fever and cough are not as prevalent with omicron cases there and that the five top symptoms are runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing and. Meaning, you shouldn't expect a brand new symptom to appear if you happen to be impacted by "stealth" Omicron specifically largely, the side effects of contracting this particular strain have remained the same. Currently, health experts have confirmed that Omicron infections specifically have led to a new common trend of upper respiratory symptoms issues like sore throats and nausea over symptoms like shortness of breath or a loss of taste and smell. Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Mens Health, Womens Health, Self, Glamour, and more. "It's not like this variant has increased ability to evade vaccine-induced immunity," Thomas Russo, MD, professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York, told Prevention. So what this is going to mean for us is really the big question, Dr. Crum said. I dont see this moving the dial significantly in terms of posing a new, huge problem., He adds, theres not the same concern level that we had with Omicron with BA.1.. The content provided here and elsewhere on the Solv Health site or mobile app is provided for general informational purposes only. Additionally, adults who received a primary vaccine and booster dose of Johnson & Johnsons Janssen COVID-19 vaccine at least four months ago may now receive a second booster dose with an mRNA vaccine. Typically the conjunctivitis is associated with other COVID symptoms as well, and does not present alone. If there's a question, take a test The top 5 symptoms in both periods were: runny nose. It's very common to see young, previously healthy people that now can't go back to work or now are having all these issues, she added. "BA.2 may extend the Omicron wave a little longer, but I don't think it changes the overall trajectory of the pandemic," Amesh Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told Prevention, adding that "there is no cause for concern with BA.2 as everything you do to handle BA.1 is applicable.". But a sub-variant of Omicron, called BA.2 or stealth Omicron has also been making waves more recently. Solv can help you book same-day appointments and urgent care visits with a provider near you. This article is accurate as of press time. if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { 6 Things to know about Omicron BA.4 and BA.5. Dr. Russo doesnt anticipate that the recent Omicron wave of COVID-19 cases will be heightened much by BA.2. This difference also may be why BA.2 escaped attention earlier. One major unknown is how the new variant emerged.. And alongside its similarly rapid spread, this subvariant has been dubbed the "stealth" Omicron variant by many scientists because it is actually harder to detect than Omicron. That progress, however, plateaued right as cases of BA.2 increased in circulation. navigator.sendBeacon('https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', payload); According to data from Spector's Zoe COVID Study App, there are five common symptoms being reported with this variant: runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and sore throat. BA.2 may extend the Omicron wave a little longer, but I dont think it changes the overall trajectory of the pandemic, he says.

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