Key TakeawaysThere is still much to be understood about the Omicron variant.Anecdotal reports indicate that the Omicron variant may cause milder symptoms or less severe disease, but experts say nothing is certain yet.The emergence of the Omicron variant does not change COVID-19 safety precautions.

Key Takeaways

There is still much to be understood about the Omicron variant.Anecdotal reports indicate that the Omicron variant may cause milder symptoms or less severe disease, but experts say nothing is certain yet.The emergence of the Omicron variant does not change COVID-19 safety precautions.

The newly-detected Omicron variant is the predominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States. The the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has marked it as aVariant of Concern (VOC), along with the Delta Variant.

Because Omicron contains multiple mutations, will it cause different symptoms than the Delta variant—the only other VOC in the U.S.? It may be too soon to tell.

How Vaccine Makers Are Tackling the Omicron Variant

How Does Omicron Compare to Other Variants?

Because the Omicron variant was discovered fairly recently, there are several questions that have yet to be answered,Mahdee Sobhanie, MD, infectious diseases physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told Verywell. This includes the following:

“I anticipate over the next couple of weeks there will be more data emerging worldwide that should provide answers to these questions,” Sobhanie added.

Does Omicron Cause Different Symptoms?

When Delta became the predominant variant, cold-like upper respiratory symptoms becamemore common, while the loss of taste and smell became less common than before.

Like Delta, the Omicron variant can also cause a change in the prevalence or severity of symptoms. However, more data is needed to know for certain.

“Preliminary reports suggest patients infected with the Omicron variant have similar symptoms to other variants of SARS-CoV-2,”Scott Roberts, MD, Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist and assistant professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine, told Verywell. “There are anecdotal reports of cases being milder and patients having no loss of taste or smell, however, these are anecdotal and should be interpreted with caution until more data is available.”

The New York Timesreported that researchers at a major hospital complex in the capital of South Africa found that their COVID-19 patients were much less sick than those they’ve treated in the past. But, as Roberts stated, these reports are still anecdotal.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), early evidence suggests that there may be a higher risk of reinfection with the Omicron variant.It may also spread more easily than other variants, including Delta.

“We do not yet know for certain whether the Omicron variant is more transmissible than the Delta variant until more data is available,” Roberts said, “However the Omicron cases currently outpacing the Delta cases in parts of South Africa is concerning and indicates this variant is likely more transmissible than other previously recognized variants.”

Every time a virus mutates, there are genetic changes that occur, which explains why different COVID-19 variants have varying symptoms and transmissibility.

What This Means For YouBeing fully vaccinated is still the best protection against COVID-19. Experts recommend getting your booster shot if you are eligible. You can find an appointment near youhere.

What This Means For You

Being fully vaccinated is still the best protection against COVID-19. Experts recommend getting your booster shot if you are eligible. You can find an appointment near youhere.

Get Your Vaccine and Booster

“Any person who has had COVID-19 is at risk for post-COVID conditions,” Roberts said. “While post-COVID-19 conditions are more common in severe disease, even people with mild COVID-19 can have post-COVID-19 conditions, and the best prevention is to not get infected in the first place.”

According to CDC, even individuals who had asymptomatic infections are at risk for post-COVID conditions.More research is needed to fully understand the cause, prevalence, and treatment of post-acute COVID syndrome.

Researchers Predict Whether COVID Vaccines Will Protect Against Variants

Preventing COVID-19 is the best way to protect yourself from any long-term effects of the disease. At the moment, the emergence of the Omicron variant does not change current COVID-19 safety precautions or prevention strategies.

“Right now there are 90,000 to 100,000 cases of COVID diagnosed daily in the United States, and the predominant strain is Delta,” Sobhanie said. “We know that the current vaccines do well against the Delta variant, hence if you are not fully vaccinated—you should get vaccinated. And if you are eligible to be boosted, get boosted. Masks are still incredibly important and effective, so if you are in an area with a high transmission rate, you should wear a mask.”

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

Is Omicron Making Your Back Hurt?

4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Omicron Variant: What You Need to Know.World Health Organization.Classification of Omicron (B.1.1.529): SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What You Need to Know About VariantsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.Post-COVID Conditions: Information for Healthcare Providers

4 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Omicron Variant: What You Need to Know.World Health Organization.Classification of Omicron (B.1.1.529): SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What You Need to Know About VariantsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.Post-COVID Conditions: Information for Healthcare Providers

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Omicron Variant: What You Need to Know.World Health Organization.Classification of Omicron (B.1.1.529): SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What You Need to Know About VariantsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.Post-COVID Conditions: Information for Healthcare Providers

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Omicron Variant: What You Need to Know.

World Health Organization.Classification of Omicron (B.1.1.529): SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What You Need to Know About Variants

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Post-COVID Conditions: Information for Healthcare Providers

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