How long does COVID symptoms begin after exposure? – NBC Chicago

As cases of coronavirus begin to increase in Illinois and parts of the United States, the risk of exposure to people with COVID is slowly increasing, in part due to the currently predominant BA.2 omicron submutant. increase. But when do the symptoms first appear following potential exposure?

Some experts say that the Omicron mutant has “speeded up” the timing of what many once knew in COVID, such as the incubation period, or the time from exposure to the onset of symptoms. At the end of last year, guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surrounding quarantine and quarantine was updated to reflect the changes.

How long can symptoms appear after COVID exposure?

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

However, according to the guidelines, exposed individuals should be aware of their symptoms at least 10 days after their last close contact with a person infected with COVID.

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.

Anyone with symptoms should take the test.

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

Which symptoms do you need to be aware of?

Which symptoms should I be aware of as BA.2 cases continue to predominate in the Midwest and across the United States?

Dr. Michael Angalone, an associate professor of infectious disease medicine at Northwestern University, said the symptoms of BA.2 are similar to those found in many COVID infections.

“That is, it’s the same virus, and because it’s SARS coronavirus 2, it has the same symptoms,” he said.

Dr. Gregory Moon, Physician for Infectious Diseases and COVID-19 Vaccine Coordinator at Cook County Health Department, will determine if Omicron causes more upper respiratory symptoms while BA.2 continues that trend. Said it was premature.

“For now, I’m not sure if I know of any particular function that is different between BA.2 and BA.1 That is, for BA.1, it’s mainly an upper respiratory tract infection, not an upper respiratory tract infection. I knew there was a lower respiratory tract infection that could cause pneumonia and more serious complications. “

Nonetheless, the BA.2-related symptoms reported by NBC News appear to largely reflect the few commonly reported symptoms of Omicron infections. They include:

• cough
• Malaise
• congestion
• snot

Case reports suggest that dizziness may be a symptom, but so far there is no evidence.

“We need to wait for exactly what that means,” said Dr. Rachel Lee, an associate professor of infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a medical epidemiologist. In general, infections can cause dizziness when people become dehydrated, she said.

“When we are sick and our bodies are taking care of infections, we can get something like fever,” Lee said. “Especially if you have a fever, and if you sweat a lot, you are losing a lot of water.”

For some people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms and cures in a few weeks. For others, it may not cause any symptoms. For some, the virus can cause more serious illnesses, including pneumonia and death.

According to health officials, most vaccinated people are asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms, and the virus rarely leads to hospitalization or death in these people.

Nevertheless, Omicron showed a change in symptoms common to many.

Dr. Catherine Pauling, an infectious disease specialist and a member of the Immunization Implementation Advisory Board, Told NBC News In January, cough, stuffy nose, runny nose, and malaise appear to be prominent symptoms of the Omicron variant.

However, unlike the delta type, many patients did not lose their taste or smell. She said these symptoms may only reflect a particular population.

According to the CDC, the symptoms of COVID infection 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

When is the best time to test?

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.

People who have symptoms should be tested when they do, but if the test is negative and the symptoms persist, another test may be needed a few days later. Home test kit..

“So if someone has symptoms and they get a negative test, does it depend on the severity? If you have severe symptoms, we give you a home test I don’t want that either, “Dr. Nimi Rajagopal, Vice-Chair of the Family and Community Health Department at Cook County Health Department, told NBC5 during the Omicron surge at the end of last year. “Of course, there are other things like the flu that can mimic or show similar symptoms, so call your doctor’s office and tell them you have an opinion here. Make sure it’s kind of calm and protracted, you [at-home] Tested and negative. Retest 3-5 days after taking precautions. Therefore, most of these kits actually come with two tests. “

When should I call the doctor?

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

• Dyspnea
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New mess
• Can’t wake up or can’t keep awake
• Light, gray, or blue skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on the color of the skin

“This list is not all possible symptoms,” the CDC said. “For severe or other symptoms related to you, contact your healthcare provider.”

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

What if my test is positive or I suspect I have been exposed?

Follow the guidelines for quarantine or quarantine from the CDC. Click here for the latest information.