"The most reported symptoms of Omicron are really very much like a cold, especially in people who've been vaccinated," Claire Steves, PhD, a scientist from King's College London involved with Zoe, confirmed in a Jan. 6 video. However, it still makes up a very small portion of COVID-19 cases in that countryand in the U.S. There is some suggestion that BA.1 may be a little bit more transmissible than Omicron but, at this point, it doesnt seem to cause any more or less severe disease, Dr. Russo says. RELATED: The top 5 symptoms in both periods were: runny nose. 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. Why Trust Us? Solv has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. "If you have fever, in particular, and if you're sweating a lot, you're losing a lot of fluid.". We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Dr. Russo doesnt anticipate that the recent Omicron wave of COVID-19 cases will be heightened much by BA.2. Public health experts closely monitor omicron stealth variant in US For some people, coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in a couple weeks. What to know about BA.2, the newest Covid omicron variant - NBC News BA.2, also known as "stealth omicron," is considered a subvariant of omicron, but, according to Chicago's top doctor, the suvariant is now making up at least two-thirds of the city's COVID cases. In just roughly two months, this variant has taken over an estimated 99.9 percent of new cases in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They also have BA.1 but it looks like BA.2 is replacing BA.1," Luban told the news outlet. There is no need to panic; public health agencies continue to track the variant closely. XBB 1.16 is the latest version of the Omicron variant. Stealth Omicron Symptoms: Sore Throat, Elevated Heart Rate and Other Symptoms to Watch Out For! But, as we know from the past, variants have the potential to mutate and cause widespread illness. Rising COVID infections associated with the so-called "stealth" omicron variant BA.2 are fueling fresh leeriness about the state of the pandemic in Massachusetts and across the country, just as life as we now know it is beginning to return to normal. We have prophylactic monoclonal antibodies that have been developed and could be considered in those patients who we really think do not have good immunity against the virus, she added. 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. sound information and advice to make the smartest, healthiest choices. These symptoms can appear within two-three days after getting infected with the virus and may linger in the body for longer. Solv can help you book same-day appointments and urgent care visits with a provider near you. Due to its novelty, some Americans may be wondering if this "stealth" version of Omicron may lead to COVID-19 infections that feel worse understandably so, given how fast Omicron has spread here in the U.S. Read on to learn more about everything you should know about this new COVID-19 variant, including if this mutation has caused a shift in known symptoms associated with SARS-CoV-2 at large. Some of these fall in line with tell-tale Omicron symptoms. navigator.sendBeacon('https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', payload); Here's what you can expect if you experience a breakthrough infection. The. 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. Physician organizations applaud introduction of Medicare payment legislation and more in the latest Advocacy Update spotlight. But I'm less confident in that statement than I would have been for prior variants, given what we've seen.". New research finds that the "stealth" Omicron subvariant, BA.2, has greater ability to evade immune protections and increased risk of reinfection. 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. Heres what to do. While public health officials in the U.S. are keeping an eye on stealth Omicron, they arent sounding the alarm just yettheyre largely focused on the main Omicron strain and subsequent Omicron symptoms circulating in the U.S., aka BA.1. I haven't seen data to suggest that vaccines would not be helpful for the current circulating variants, said Dr. Crum. What do you need to know? Other experts say they don't feel like the emergence of the stealth Omicron variant is any cause for panic. 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. University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, current vaccines provide similar protection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. Learn more. There is a possibility that healthcare providers will uncover a new trend for this particular "stealth" variant in the future but it remains true that anyone impacted by COVID-19 may be impacted by any one of the following symptoms reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Dr. Edwards adds that it is too early to tell anything about the mortality rate and hospitalization rate around this particular variant, nor if it particularly impacts a certain subset of the population more frequently. 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. Early symptoms include dizziness, fatigue One of the early-reported symptoms in patients affected by this variant are dizziness and extreme fatigue. Illinois has also seen a consistent rise. 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. The New COVID-19 Pills: How do they work and where can you get them? Your session has expired, please login again. Officials and members gather to elect officers and address policy at the 2023 AMA Annual Meeting being held in Chicago, June 9-14, 2023. Dr. Rohatsch says, If you are up to date with your vaccines, including the bivalent booster released last Fall, you do not need an additional shot right now. If you're experiencing unexplained symptoms detailed on the list above in any sequence, combination or severity, your best bet is to seek out a COVID-19 test to ensure you are healthy. Additionally, the FDA recently approved a second booster shot for people who are above 65 or have compromised immunity.. The latest COVID variants are spreading faster with more breakthrough infections. increases its ability to transmit infections, https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/21042023xbb.1.16ra-v2.pdf?sfvrsn=84577350_1, https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions, https://www.solvhealth.com/blog/xbb15-what-do-you-need-to-know, https://www.who.int/multi-media/details/who-press-conference-on-covid-19-and-other-global-health-issues-29-march-2023, https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7205e1.htm?s_cid=mm7205e1_w, https://www.thequint.com/fit/arcturus-xbb-116-covid-variant-symptoms-cases-in-india, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html, https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/new-covid-19-variant-arcturus-rise-us-98800298, https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-changes-simplify-use-bivalent-mrna-covid-19-vaccines, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html. The two most reported symptom of patients infected by the Stealth Omicron variant is -dizziness and fatigue. Why this matters: The subvariant BA.2, which has been nicknamed the "stealth omicron," could be spreading faster than the original omicron and lead to even more COVID-19 cases, according to Fortune. Korea expected to ease social distancing rules soon One of . The variant is producing some unique signs among those infected. The deadly novel coronavirus mutated over time and and has created newer variants that fueled every wave of the pandemic. All you need to know, When to get checked: A guide to mens preventive health (including timelines and screenings), Getting back to health: your checklist for 2022, Protecting Your Kids with the COVID-19 Vaccine, Parent Tips for a no burn-out, no bummer summer with kids. Although conjunctivitis, or pink eye has been reported as a symptom of previous COVID variants, there are anecdotal reports of an increase in conjunctivitis with Arcturus. 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 Dr. Crum is also an alternate delegate in the AMA House of Delegates for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. BA.1, aka the Omicron that people have largely been tracking, is missing one of three target genes that are used in a standard PCR test, Dr. Russo explains. Since Arcturus is new to US soil and is only 9% of the total cases, the CDC has yet to release a list of symptoms. The BA.2 subvariant has been referred to as stealth Omicron because it contains genetic mutations that can make it harder to distinguish from the Delta variant using PCR tests compared to the original Omicron variant. The subvariant, detected in at least 57 . They reported that the top five symptoms related to the variant were: Runny nose. A government notice said that police permission would be required for people to leave the area or travel from one city to another. And the answer's going to be, yes, she said. What Are Dehydration Headaches? What to know about omicron BA.2 variant symptoms - NBC News It'll just take a moment. This new iteration of the fast-spreading variant has been gaining a foothold in several counties since Jan. 24, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported. Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. Whether it is medium COVID or some other term, weve really seen the whole gamut from one day of symptoms from COVID-19 and then everything is well to one year or more of symptoms and things are still really bad, she said. As far as new symptoms go, you don't have to worry much about stealth omicron. People should be wary of two new COVID-19 symptoms observed in patients down with the new omicron subvariant, BA.2. However, one must note, these are only early stage symptoms. The data may be limited here, as Dr. Edwards confirms, but the reality is that experts are largely unsure if certain variants can cause reinfection more than once. A lot of those populations, especially the very immunosuppressed, will not have great immune responses to the vaccine or to having COVID infection in the past, said Dr. Crum. 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 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. So far, symptoms appear to be consistent with the omicron variant. You are now subscribed to our newsletters. This subvariant has also started spreading rather rapidly. She is also an 11-time marathoner, a USATF Level 1-certified running coach, and an avid traveler. "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.". "The most reported symptoms of Omicron are really very much like a cold, especially in people who've been vaccinated," Claire Steves, PhD, a scientist from King's College London involved with Zoe, confirmed in a Jan. 6 video. The experts said that at the moment, symptoms such as as runny nose, sneezing and a sore throat, are among those being most recorded. By now, theres a good chance you may have heard about one of the latest new phenomenons known as stealth omicron. And unfortunately, this isnt just a case of another variant that tends to leave you without any symptoms, as its moniker may imply. Coronavirus symptoms: 6 signs of 'Stealth Omicron' you can witness in 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. "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. 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 . Symptoms of infection don't appear to be any different so far from the original omicron strain. Fever was much less common. Find possible causes of symptoms and get recommendations on what to do next. "We are starting to see a steady increase in cases," Dr. Amaal Tokars, acting director for the Illinois Department of Public Health, said during a COVID briefing Tuesday. 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. For some, the virus can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The Delta Variant killed the most number of people during the second wave. Each month, the Senior Physician Sectionhighlights membersand individualsto showcase their work and current efforts. The city has seen its case metrics climbing in recent weeks. ChandanaBalasubramanian is anexperienced healthcare executive who writes on the intersection of healthcare and technology. Always contact your healthcare provider directly with any questions you may have regarding your health or specific medical advice. In just roughly two months, this variant has taken over an estimated 99.9 percent of new cases in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The AMAsWhat Doctors Wish Patients Knew series provides physicians with a platform to share what they want patients to understand about todays health care headlines, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. What to Know About the Coronavirus Omicron Subvariant - AARP We avoid using tertiary references. Were seeing very low rates of positivity for coronavirus right now and were actually seeing more influenza, said Dr. Crum. 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.. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Experts Explain How the 'Stealth' Omicron Variant May Impact COVID-19 Even though dizziness and fatigue are common everyday symptoms, one must keep an eye out for the persistence of the same. But now, there is another concern on the horizon: the Omicron subvariant, BA.2. And Omicron's BA.2 subvariant might not be much different. What are the symptoms? (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). The most common symptoms of the Omicron variant were cough, fatigue, congestion or runny nose, and fever. This so-called stealth variant, officially known as BA.2, is armed with even higher transmission potential, and possibly a greater ability to evade the immune response, than the original Omicron . Heres what you need to know about this latest development in the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. In many countries, it caused some of the steepest and . In the event of a medical emergency, dial 911 or visit your closest emergency room immediately. Omicron: Symptoms of Stealth Omicron variant can include headache I would also predict that there would be significant protection with BA.2 if you had BA.1. COVID vaccines for small children: Do kids under 5 need them? As BA.2 Variant Spreads, Here Are What Symptoms to Watch For There's certainly cause for concern, mainly because it's so transmissible, Dr. Crum said. Apart from two telltale signs, the new sub-variant may also lead to other symptoms like: Cold has also been notably the most reported symptom of the BA.2 variant of Omicron, especially in people who've been vaccinated, according to Zoe Covid study app of UK. So, we really haven't seen this variant take off. Between Delta, Omicron, and the original strains, its all made most of our heads spin. "The stealth Omicron subvariant is taking its toll on the world right now, with European nations especially showing major spikes in the numbers of daily infection cases there," Kwon said. My sense is that were not going to have a major outbreak thats going to return us to where we were a few months ago in terms of our case counts, she said. Here's How Worried You Should Be About 'Stealth' Omicron, The Difference Between a Heart Attack and a Stroke. "Stealth Omicron": Everything you need to know about the new - GAVI Think you may have monkeypox? The NHS explained: "These may come and go throughout the day. Explore how to write a medical CV, negotiate employment contracts and more. The BA.2 virus - a subvariant of the Omicron coronavirus variant - isn't just spreading faster than its distant cousin, it may also cause more severe disease and appears capable of thwarting some. Patients, help us protect our high-risk patients - please wear a mask if you have respiratory symptoms, a positive COVID-19 test, or COVID-19 exposure. Dr. Look Out For THESE Stealth Omicron Symptoms That Show - TheHealthSite COVID-19 Omicron Subvariant Presents 2 New Symptoms: Report Stealth omicron: Know the common symptoms from experts if( 'moc.enilnoefiltseb' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { Northwestern's Dr. Michael Angarone, an associate professor of medicine in infectious diseases, said the symptoms for BA.2 are similar to those seen in many COVID infections. The U.K., for example, saw a steep decline in COVID-19 cases in mid-January. How Many Steps Do I Need a Day for Weight Loss? 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. The content provided here and elsewhere on the Solv Health site or mobile app is provided for general informational purposes only. One can also rule out symptoms like loss of smell or taste and shortness of breath, as the BA.2 variant does not affect the lungs primarily. What will happen with this in the next few weeks? Otherwise, the variant functions quite similarly to Omicron itself and experts say there isn't cause for overt panic just yet; a report released this week by the United Kingdom's Health Security Agency suggests that current vaccines provide similar protection against the "stealth" variant as it does to original Omicron infections. It's not to say that researchers won't notice a new trend or common thread between "stealth" Omicron infections that differ from Omicron infections now, Delta-linked infections or those earliest cases of COVID-19 in 2020. It may seem like the world will never return to the normal we once knew in the before times, and Dr. Naik says thats not that far off from the truth. You are just one step away from creating your watchlist! Fever or chills Cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Fatigue Muscle or body aches Headache New loss of taste or smell Sore throat or hoarse voice Congestion or runny nose Nausea or vomiting Diarrhoea High temperature Continuous cough Back pain A loss of appetite Delerium Heartburn Bloating Sleep paralysis Skin rash Night sweats if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { New Covid Sub-Variant: Stealth Omicron BA.2 Symptoms, Countries, Cases Apply for a leadership position by submitting the required documentation by the deadline. Sick with a new Omicron variant? Be prepared for this symptom, new This difference also may be why BA.2 escaped attention earlier. These symptoms can occur two to three days after becoming infected with the virus and can last for a long time in the body," adds Dr Grover. Is omicron subvariant BA.2 to blame for rising Covid cases? - CNBC 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. 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. Read more. As of Monday, the city was averaging 336 new COVID cases per day, up from 257 one week prior. "So this is the same virus, so SARS Coronavirus 2, so we're seeing the same symptoms," he said. What To Know About BA.2, the 'Stealth' Omicron Variant Patients can also have gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, and loss of taste or loss of smell, although Ive 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. These symptoms are likely to appear within two to three days after being infected with the virus. Log in to our website to save your bookmarks. It's no secret that health experts have detected that Omicron-fueled infections may have shorter incubation times compared to earlier strains but it's also too soon to tell if "stealth" Omicron has an even more abridged incubation period. However, the "stealth" version, as it has been dubbed, does appear to be even more transmissible. What is Stealth Omicron? Symptoms of the Covid variant responsible for 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. Looks like you have exceeded the limit to bookmark the image. Monkeypox and kids: As cases rise, should parents worry? Those symptoms are . You are encouraged to discuss any questions that you may have about your health with your healthcare provider. Because of this rapid spread, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Arcturus as a variant of interest on April 17th. What are the symptoms of the new Omicron sub-variant? - LinkedIn 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. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is the dominant strain in India and has been found in over 30 countries, including the United States. New COVID variant XBB.1.16 'Arcturus' in the US: What you need to know "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. Infections in general can cause dizziness if people become dehydrated, she said.
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