Answers to questions about the Omicron variant of COVID-19, including symptoms, how fast it spreads, and how more severe it is than previous variants.
, and loss of smell or taste, are still important signs to watch out for with the Omicron variant.
WHO experts have said there isn’t any data that suggests Omicron causes symptoms that are different from the ones produced by other COVID-19 variants.Experts don’t yet know if Omicron causes more severe disease compared to previous variants. The first reported cases were from university students who were younger and tended to have mild symptoms. But researchers need more data to understand how Omicron affects different groups of people.
This is especially true for instances of reinfection or breakthrough cases in people who are fully vaccinated. One early study has found that a previous infection only gives a 19% protection rate. It puts the chances of getting re-infected at almost 5½ times higher with this variant than with theIt’s important to remember that even a relatively mild case of COVID-19 can cause “long-haul COVID”: symptoms that last for weeks or months after the first illness has passed.
One study suggests that the incubation period for Omicron ranges from 0 to 8 days, with a median of 3 days.To find out if you have the virus, you’ll need to take a COVID-19 test. You can access at-home tests or see a doctor to get one. If you test positive, more testing would be needed to tell if your case was caused by the Omicron variant. But this process takes a long time and is expensive. Experts don’t usually do it for each positive COVID-19 case.
Breakthrough cases of Omicron in people who are fully vaccinated are likely. But experts believe that the COVID-19
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Florida Shatters Daily COVID-19 Records as Omicron RagesThe Florida Department of Health decided to top its Twitter account with this message: “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!” Singing has been documented as one of the best, fastest ways to spread the virus.
Read more »
8,000+ US flights canceled, delayed amid omicron surge; COVID-19 enters fourth calendar year: UpdatesAmericans ushered in 2022 with exploding COVID-19 cases, thousands of canceled flights and quickly-filling hospital beds once again as the pandemic dragged into another calendar year.
Read more »
5 things to know about COVID-19 tests in the age of OmicronHere’s what you need to know about testing in the age of the Omicron variant—and what experts say you should do if you test positive
Read more »
Gottlieb says Omicron appears to be a 'milder strain' of COVID-19, but pediatric danger remainsGottlieb also noted that places that have been hard hit early by Omicron are as soon as 'two weeks away from peaking, but the rest of the country probably faces a hard month ahead of us.'
Read more »
FDA expands Pfizer COVID-19 boosters for 12- to 15-year-olds as omicron surgesThe U.S. is expanding COVID-19 boosters as it confronts the omicron surge, with the FDA allowing extra Pfizer shots for children as young as 12.
Read more »
COVID-19 omicron spread prompts temporary restaurant closures, vaccine requirementsAs cases of COVID-19 surge, many restaurants have announced temporary closures, modified service or vaccine requirements for indoor dining.
Read more »