How long do COVID symptoms last? Here’s what to expect first and what may linger – NBC Chicago

With the Omicron subvariant still accounting for nearly all COVID cases in the US, and with changes in the most common symptoms and incubation period of the virus, how long will symptoms last?

For those who experience symptoms, some last longer than others.

longer lasting symptoms

Dr. Alison Alwadi of the Chicago Department of Public Health said Tuesday that coughing is likely to be the longest lasting symptom and fever is one of the first to go away.

“The cough tends to linger the most, which is always the case when you have the virus,” Arwady said on Facebook Live. A cough doesn’t mean you’ve had it in the last 10 days, but it’s usually the last time it goes away.”

Fatigue is another symptom that can last a little longer, she said.

The CDC says most people infected with COVID-19 “recover within days to weeks of infection.”

But some officials say symptoms could last longer.

“Post-COVID conditions can include a wide range of ongoing health problems,” said the CDC. “These conditions can last for weeks, months, or years.”

a Recent Studies in Northwestern Medicine It showed that many so-called COVID “long-distance travelers” continue to experience symptoms such as brain fog, tingling, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus and fatigue for an average of 15 months after the onset of the virus.

A “long haul traveler” is defined as an individual who has had COVID symptoms for more than 6 weeks. the hospital system said.

But according to the CDC, a post-COVID condition may first be identified as early as four weeks after infection.

“Most people in a post-COVID-19 state experienced symptoms when they realized they had COVID-19 a few days after being infected with SARS CoV-2, but the post-COVID-19 state Some people in the United States were unaware when they were first infected,” says the CDC.

Long-lasting symptoms of COVID-19 can span a range of illnesses, some of which may even disappear and reappear later.

“The post-COVID condition does not affect everyone in the same way. People with a post-COVID condition experience different types of health problems, which occur over different periods of time. You may experience a combination of symptoms,” the CDC reports. “Most patients’ symptoms improve slowly over time. After the illness, the post-COVID condition can last for months, even years, and can sometimes lead to disability.”

(See list of potential long-term COVID symptoms here)

shorter symptoms

Meanwhile, Chicago’s attending physician noted that fever is one of the larger indicators of contagiousness and likely one of the first symptoms to go away.

“We pay close attention to fevers because…during a fever there is a lot of inflammation in the body and it is often highly contagious and usually heals faster.” “Because I see,” she said.

Fever may also be one of the first symptoms a person with COVID may experience at the onset of infection.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, early symptoms of COVID-19 usually include fatigue, headache, sore throat and fever. Some patients may also experience loss of taste or smell as an early or first symptom, but Arwady says it’s less common with the newer variants than earlier in the pandemic.

A study by researchers at the University of Southern California also found that fever may first appear, followed by coughing and muscle aches. There is a nature. Researchers found that unlike other respiratory diseases such as MERS and SARS, COVID-19 patients were more likely to develop nausea and vomiting before diarrhea.

Gastrointestinal symptoms can sometimes be the first sign someone has COVID. According to an Emerson Health article, they are known to develop early in the infection, and he may have respiratory symptoms a day later.

According to the CDC, COVID symptoms can appear 2 to 14 days after someone has been exposed to the virus. If he is fever-free for 24 hours without the use of antipyretics and his other symptoms improve, he can end the full five days of isolation.

most common symptoms

BA.4 and BA.5 variants in particular have changed the most common symptoms associated with COVID infection this summer.

“These days, we’re seeing more of what’s called upper respiratory symptoms,” says Arwady. “Sore throat, tiredness, definitely still some fever, runny nose. Less affected lungs, more like the whole body.”

She added that both headaches and rashes can be symptoms associated with the virus, but are less common than indicators of the upper respiratory tract.

Still, some symptoms, such as shortness of breath, are less common as the virus continues to mutate.

Dr. Sharon Werber, Chief of Epidemiology and Infection Control, Cook County Health Hospital, said: “At Omicron, we know that fever and cough are still the most common. It’s not as short of breath as it was with the Wuhan virus anymore, but fever, sore throat and, as I said, cough. .”

Experts warn patients that the severity and even the type of initial symptoms can vary greatly from person to person.

“I think it really depends on the person,” Werber said. “It depends on your age, it depends on your comorbidities, it depends on your vaccine status. If you are infected before you are latently infected, your immune system will be more active … so protect it. I don’t think there is a way to predict. ”

of According to the CDC, the median appearance time is Symptom recovery in patients with different strains of Omicron can be as little as 3 days.

According to the CDC, symptoms usually appear 2 to 14 days after contracting the virus. However, how long they last depends on the person, the severity of the infection, and whether COVID takes longer.

“Some people say they feel better in a day, while others say their symptoms linger even after three weeks,” Werbel said.

Symptoms of the virus include:

– Fever or chills

-cough

– difficulty breathing

-Malaise

-Muscle and body pain

-headache

New loss of taste or smell

-sore throat

・Congestion and runny nose

-nausea and vomiting

-diarrhea

Patients are encouraged to seek emergency medical attention in the following cases:

・Difficulty breathing

– Persistent chest pain or tightness

・New chaos

– Inability to wake up or stay awake

– Pale, gray or blue skin, lips, or nail beds