With omicron, health experts warn the symptoms that previously helped people to gauge whether they had a cold, flu or COVID-19 are no longer as reliable.
You think to yourself, it’s just mild allergies or a minor cold. You’re not worried about COVID-19 because the symptoms don’t match up with the distinct, often severe indicators of COVID-19: joint aches, violent coughing, a fever or chill, and the dreaded loss of ability to taste or smell.
There are a handful of factors contributing to the blurring of symptoms among viruses, including omicron’s characteristics, the way symptoms present in vaccinated people and the rise in cold and flu cases compared with last year’s pandemic winter.Unlike earlier variants of concern, like delta, omicron has a higher affinity for the upper respiratory epithelium, said Ms Landon: “It’s more likely to make people sniffle more, sneeze more or be congested.
Preliminary real-world data from the United Kingdom found people infected with the omicron variant were almost 60 per cent less likely to be hospitalised than those infected with delta. Even though early data indicates omicron may not be as dangerous as delta for unvaccinated individuals, the ease with which omicron spreads still poses a significant threat to the most vulnerable populations.
“Seasonal influenza activity in the United States is increasing, including indicators that track hospitalisations, according to the CDC’s Influenza Surveillance Report ending the week of December 11. Flu activity is notably on the rise in eastern and central parts of the United States.
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