Experts say the Omicron variant shares some symptoms with other COVID-19 variants, especially those affecting the upper respiratory system.
They say fever, cough, and headache are among the common symptoms. So are muscle aches. However, people who have been diagnosed with Omicron so far don’t report a significant loss of taste and smell. Experts say Omicron symptoms appear to be relatively mild so far, particularly for vaccinated people.
The Omicron variant of COVID-19 acts more like a head cold than previous manifestations of the coronavirus. By lingering in the nose and throat, Omicron can spread faster but appears to be less deadly than previous variants. What are the symptoms associated with Omicron?
Studies have found that the most common symptoms Omicron causes are similar to those caused by other variants. “In vaccinated and boosted individuals, Omicron tends to cause a dry/scratchy sore throat, sneezing, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and runny nose/congestion,” Dr. N. Adam Brown, the chief impact officer and COVID-19 Task Force chair at Envision Healthcare, a national medical group, told Healthline.
“A dry cough and fever can also accompany Omicron but are less common than with earlier variants,” he added. “Most people who become infected begin with a dry sore throat, body aches, and headache,” said Brown. “Those symptoms progress for a few days.” Loss of taste and smell seem to be less common with Omicron. Severe lung problems are also rarer.
“In our [patient] interviews recently we have been hearing less reports of loss of taste or smell, and more reports of sore throat, runny nose, headaches, sneezing, and fatigue,” David Souleles, MPH, director of the COVID-19 Response Team and director of the Masters in Public Health Program and Practice at the University of California Irvine, told Healthline. “However, it is important to remember if you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms to get tested as soon as symptoms appear.” It’s never a bad time to check in on your relationship with alcohol. Learn how to navigate a month of sobriety with the month-long Alcohol Reset Challenge. Symptoms are worse for unvaccinated people.
