The new omicron booster is less than a month away from being available as hospitalizations dip. But the seven-day-average for reported COVID-19 cases still hovers above 80,000.
The bivalent vaccines have only been through animal testing and their rate of effectiveness is an estimate. Still, these shots are key for protecting individuals from infection, said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are the signs for getting infected with omicron?
There are two specific symptoms that could be signs that a positive COVID-19 test is coming, according to The Independent:
- Fatigue.
- Spells of dizziness or fainting.
“Fatigue can translate to bodily pain by causing sore or weak muscles, headaches and even blurry vision and loss of appetite,” the report stated.
Per Reuters, Dr. Angelique Coetzee, a private practitioner and chair of the South African Medical Association, also mentioned that tiredness was one of the main symptoms of BA.5 when there was an outbreak in South Africa.
What are the top omicron symptoms to look out for?
As I previously reported, omicron subvariants have a shorter incubation period, which is why the symptoms may appear earlier. The worst symptom is a “throat on fire,” said UCSF’s Dr. Peter Chin-Hong.
The most common omicron-related symptoms are:
- Cough.
- Fatigue.
- Congestion.
- Runny nose.