What We Know as a New Variant Detected in Chicago – NBC Chicago

As scientists are working to understand the new Omicron variants that are spreading in the United States and around the world, there are still many questions to be answered, but the variants are. Now in Illinois and Chicago Are there any symptoms to watch out for?

Although the investigation is still in its infancy, some South African doctors who treated the case said the symptoms appeared to be different from those expected with the delta mutant.

So what are the symptoms of the new Omicron COVID and Delta COVID variants?

Health experts say it takes weeks to understand how mutants affect diagnosis, treatment, and vaccines, but what we know so far is:

Symptoms of Omicron COVID variant

COVID symptoms associated with Omicron mutants Described as “very calm” by South African doctor Who first warned about the new stock?

Most of the new cases in South Africa are between people in their twenties and thirties, and doctors say that the age group generally has mild symptoms of COVID-19 in any case.

They warn that older people infected with the new variant may have more serious symptoms.

“In the last 10 days, the number of cases has skyrocketed. So far, most of them are very mild cases and patients have flu-like symptoms: dry cough, fever, night sweats. , Many body aches “new cases have been reported.

Dr. Angelique Coetzee, Chairman of the South African Medical Association, Told the BBC on Sunday Around November 18, she began seeing patients with “abnormal symptoms” that were slightly different from those associated with the delta variant, the most virulent and globally predominant viral strain to date.

“It actually started with a male patient around the age of 33 … and he told me he was just [been] He has been very tired for the past few days and he has these body aches and pains with a few headaches, “she told the BBC.

The patient had no sore throat, but more “sore throat”, but no coughing or loss of taste or smell. This is a symptom associated with previous coronavirus strains.

Coetzee said a COVID test of a male patient was as positive as his family, and that day more patients had the same type of symptoms that were different from the delta type.

Other patients she had previously seen with the Omicron variant also experienced what she described as “very mild” symptoms, and her colleagues added that she had noticed a similar case.

“What we see clinically in South Africa-and remember that we are in this epicenter where we are practicing-very calm for us. [these are] In mild cases. We don’t admit anyone, I talked to my other colleagues, and they give the same picture. “

The symptoms of the Delta COVID variant are similar to those of the Alpha COVID strain (B.1.1.7), but have been shown to cause more cold-like symptoms.

“”Headache, sore throat, runny nose, fever More than 90% of the cases are due to the Delta strain, which is based on the latest research in the UK. ” ..

Still, experts warn that symptoms can vary from person to person and that testing is the only way to find it.

“You won’t be able to tell the difference between the two [the omicron COVID variant] Dr. Emily Landon, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Chicago, said from the beginning that flu, or even most of our common colds in winter, “you can’t tell the difference just by looking at you. For many people, these symptoms overlap. Especially at the beginning of the illness, it is not possible to know what kind of illness you have. You need to be tested. “

Overall, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with COVID-19 report a wide range of symptoms, from mild to severe.

Symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure to the virus and include the following:

• Fever or chills
• cough
• Shortness of breath or shortness of breath
• Malaise
• Muscle and body pain
• headache
• New loss of taste and smell
• sore throat
• Stuffy nose or runny nose.
• Nausea or vomiting
• diarrhea