This early Omicron symptom is a noteworthy symptom with COVID – NBC Boston

If you have been infected with COVID and are monitoring your symptoms, what are the first signs that you may be infected?

Many are asking questions as the number of Omicron cases surges across the country and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updates quarantine and quarantine guidelines. These guidelines depend on the presence or absence of a symptomatic infection.

Here’s what we know so far:

Sore throat continues to be a symptom reported, especially for mild breakthrough infections, health officials say. People with symptoms like the flu or cold should be assumed to be infected with COVID until it proves otherwise.

What are the other symptoms to watch out for after COVID exposure?

In some Omicron cases, especially breakthrough infections in people who have been boosted or vaccinated, they remain mild and wonder how many can tell if they have a cold, the flu, or COVID-19. I am thinking.

A fully vaccinated person does not necessarily have a serious illness, fever for several days and difficulty breathing, but instead experiences a milder illness such as a cold. However, they still have the ability to infect others with the virus.

However, unvaccinated people are experiencing symptoms similar to those in the early days of the pandemic, health officials said.

Dr. Catherine Pauling, an infectious disease specialist and a member of the Immunization Implementation Advisory Board, Told NBC News Last week, cough, congestion, runny nose, and malaise appeared to be prominent symptoms of the Omicron variant. However, unlike Delta, many patients do not lose their taste or smell.

According to Pauling, the evidence so far is anecdotal and not based on scientific research. She also stated that these symptoms may only reflect a particular population.

Still, CDC data show that the most common symptoms so far are cough, malaise, stuffy nose, and runny nose.

Overall, the COVID symptoms reported by the CDC are:

• 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

Some CDCs are called “”Coronavirus self-checker“This allows people to answer a series of questions and decide if they should get medical care.

“The Coronavirus Self-Checker determines when individuals over the age of 13 and parents and caregivers of children aged 2 to 12 seek testing or medical care if they or an acquaintance suspects they have a contract. An interactive clinical evaluation tool to help you in close contact with COVID-19, or someone who has COVID-19, “reads the CDC website.

Click here for how to use..

How soon do the symptoms of COVID appear?

According to previous CDC guidance, symptoms of COVID can appear 2 to 14 days after someone is exposed to the virus.

Anyone with symptoms should be tested for COVID-19.

The virus can be spread, but some people have no symptoms.

A person is also considered contagious before symptoms appear.

When are people with COVID most contagious?

According to the CDC, guidelines have been updated to reflect increasing evidence suggesting that COVID-19 infections often occur 1-2 days before the onset of symptoms and 2-3 days thereafter. it was done.

For asymptomatic individuals, the CDC guidance states that they are considered contagious at least 2 days before their positive test.

When should I call the doctor?

The CDC encourages people who have or may have COVID-19 to monitor emergency warning signs and seek medical care immediately if they experience any of the following symptoms:

• Dyspnea
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New mess
• Difficult to get up or difficult to get up
• Light, gray, or blue skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on the color of the skin

“This list is not all possible symptoms,” said the CDC. “Contact your healthcare provider for severe or other symptoms that are relevant to you.”

You can also notify the operator that you or someone you care for believes that you are infected with COVID.

How long will the test be positive after being infected with COVID?

According to the CDC, the incubation period for COVID is 2 to 14 days, but the latest guidance from the authorities suggests a 5-day quarantine for those who are not boosted but are eligible or vaccinated. .. For those who wish to be tested after exposure, the CDC recommends that they be tested 5 days after exposure or if they begin experience.

Those who have been boosted and vaccinated, or who have been fully vaccinated and are not yet eligible for booster shots, do not need to be quarantined, but unless symptoms are present, wear a mask for 10 days and 5 after exposure. You also need to take the test for the day.

Still, for those who have been vaccinated and encouraged, but still want to be cautious, health professionals say additional tests on day 7 may help.

When is the best time to take a test after exposure?

The CDC states that people who may be infected with COVID should be tested 5 days after exposure or as soon as symptoms occur.

“In the event of symptoms, individuals should be quarantined immediately until a negative test confirms that the symptoms are not due to COVID-19,” Guidance said.

The incubation period can vary, but experts advise early testers to continue testing, even with negative results.

How long do you need to quarantine or quarantine?

First of all, anyone who believes they have come into contact with someone who is infected with COVID and has not been vaccinated should be quarantined. Anyone who tests positive, regardless of vaccination status, should be quarantined. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The differences between the two are:

quarantine

Quarantine for 5 days if unvaccinated, or if more than 6 months away from the second vaccination, within 6 feet of a person with COVID for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more in 24 hours is needed. To the updated CDC guidance published on Monday.

At the end of that period, they will need to participate in the use of strict masks for an additional 5 days.

Earlier, the CDC stated that people who were not fully vaccinated and had close contact with the infected would need to stay home for at least 10 days.

Prior to Monday, fully vaccinated people (CDC defined as two doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine) may be exempt from quarantine.

Fully vaccinated and boosted individuals do not need to be quarantined if they are in close contact with COVID, but they should wear a mask for at least 10 days after exposure. The same is true for those who are fully vaccinated and are not yet eligible for booster shots.

isolation

According to the CDC, people who are positive for COVID will need to stay at home for 5 days, changing the guidance from the previously recommended 10 days.

At the end of the period, if you are asymptomatic, you can return to normal activity, but you should wear a mask everywhere (at home or around others) for at least another 5 days.

If symptoms persist after 5 days of quarantine, stay home until you feel better, then always wear a mask and start 5 days.

So how do you calculate the quarantine period?

According to the CDC, “Day 0 is the first day of symptoms.” In other words, the first day is the first full day after the onset of symptoms.

For those who test positive for COVID but have no symptoms, day 0 is the day of the positive test. People who develop symptoms after a positive test will have to start over from the beginning, but from day 0 to the first day of symptoms.

Need to test from quarantine or quarantine?

isolation

If your COVID test is positive, you are asymptomatic, and you have been quarantined for the required 5 days, you do not now need to test before you meet people again. Latest CDC Guidance..

“If an individual has access to the test and wishes to have one, the best approach is to use the antigen test towards the end of the five-day quarantine period,” said the CDC Guidance. “If the test result is positive, you must continue quarantine until day 10. If the test result is negative, you can end the quarantine, but around others at home or in public until day 10. I will continue to wear the perfect mask for you. “

Advice for those who have tested positive and experienced symptoms also does not indicate test requirements, but rather that person must maintain “24 hours antipyretic without the use of antipyretics” and other symptoms. Must be improved before they are finished Their isolation should last at least 5 days.

Guidance states that both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals need to continue to wear masks around others for an additional 5 days.

quarantine

However, if you are in quarantine, the guidance will be different.

According to the CDC, those exposed to COVID who develop symptoms should immediately test, receive results, and enter the quarantine protocol until positive.

People who are asymptomatic can be tested at least 5 days after exposure and can leave home if negative, but masking should continue until day 10.

Why don’t you need to test from quarantine?

The test is “most commonly used in the early stages of the disease to diagnose COVID-19 and is not authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration to assess the duration of infection,” the CDC said.

“A positive antigen test means that a person may have an infectious virus and can infect others, but a negative antigen test does not necessarily mean that there is no infectious virus. Does not indicate, “reads the CDC website. “Therefore, it is recommended to wear a proper mask regardless of the test results.”

The latest CDC guidance was provided because many experts were hoping for additional testing requirements, but it was also provided during times when testing shortages were reported nationally.

“I don’t think the clarifications helped at all, and I think it really made things worse,” Dr. Lina Wen, a former Baltimore health commissioner and emergency physician, said in an interview with CNN. “I think they should say in advance that they can’t do this because they don’t have enough tests.”

What kind of test should I use if I want to test before leaving the quarantine?

The CDC recommends antigen testing for those who are considering testing before leaving quarantine.

However, Massachusetts updated its test guidance on Tuesday.Governor Charlie Baker says that home tests are now almost always accepted.

According to the Governor, DPH guidance most often requires rapid antigen testing for schools, employers, and nurseries that require people to be tested to return after exposure or infection, and PCR testing is required. It makes it clear that it should not be. ..

“In most cases, rapid testing is a very good alternative to PCR testing,” Baker said.

What if my home test is positive?

Those who test positive using a home test are required to follow the latest CDC guidelines and communicate the results to the health care provider responsible for reporting the test results to the state health department.

According to health experts, people assume that the test results are accurate and need to be isolated from others to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

When can I be around other people after being infected with COVID?

If there are symptoms, the CDC says they can be around others after being quarantined for 5 days to stop the onset of symptoms. However, to minimize the risk to others, you should continue to wear the mask for 5 days after the symptoms end.