How long does an Omicron infection take and what about “COVID long tail”? [WE EXPLAIN]

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Symptoms of coronavirus infection most often disappear within 10 days, reminded epidemiologist Dr. Allison Arwady from Chicago in the fall. Today, as the Omikron supervariant displaces Delta, some patients report that their symptoms have cleared up within three to five days. However, there are also those in whom symptoms last for two weeks. Is such a long time a signal of anxiety? Here’s what is known.

1. Symptoms of Omikron infection appear faster than with other variants, after an average of three days
2. The symptoms caused by the superwariant are usually milder and often resemble a severe cold
3. The course of the disease is influenced by many factors, including age, general health, and degree of vaccination. Doctors observe that in people who are fully vaccinated, the duration of the infection with Omikron is usually shorter and its course is milder.
4. “People with mild COVID-19 usually recover within one to two weeks,” says Dr. Lisa Lockerd Maragakis
5. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

Symptoms of an Omicron infection appear faster

In less than two months, Omikron spread around the world, causing an unprecedented number of new infections. This variant of SARS-CoV-2 spreads faster than any previous one. Moreover, we know that Omikron is more infectious than previous ‘versions’ of the pathogen (up to 70 times more than the Delta mutation).

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The observations also show that the symptoms of Omikron infection appear faster than in the case of other variants, which means that the incubation time has been shortened. While in the case of the original “version” of the coronavirus it was five to six days, for Delta four, the symptoms appear after about three days with an Omicron infection.

We also know that in the case of Omikron, vaccinations protect relatively well against the severe form of COVID-19 and death, but the protection against the infection itself and against the disease is lower. Breakthrough infections (appearing after a full vaccination course) are also more common. The good news is that Omikron is no more virulent than the previous variants, and observations have shown that the symptoms it causes are milder and often resemble a severe cold. It does not mean that it is less dangerous, especially for unvaccinated people (at NBC Chicago, epidemiologist Dr. Allison Arwady pointed out that it is likely that unvaccinated people experience symptoms similar to those observed at the beginning of the pandemic).

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How long do the symptoms of Omicron last in a mild course?

Given the above information and the differences between the Omicron and previous variants, the question arises, how long does a super-variant infection last? In the fall of 2021 (which is before we discovered Omikron), Dr. Allison Arwady reminded NBC Chicago that in most cases, symptoms from coronavirus disappear within 10 days, especially in people who get vaccinated. Recently, an emergency medicine doctor, Dr. Rahul Sharma, said that he was observing that Symptoms of mild, breakthrough infections from Omikron resolve fairly quickly – in most such patients within three to five days.

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However, this is not necessarily the case. For example, one study showed that the symptoms of Omikron can last from a few days to a week. Epidemiology researcher Lisa Lockerd Maragakis of The Johns Hopkins Health System emphasizes that “People with mild COVID-19 usually recover within one to two weeks. In severe cases, recovery may take six weeks or more, and in some cases, persistent symptoms may occur in the heart, kidneys, lungs and brain ».

Remember that the course of the disease is influenced by many factors, including age, general health, and the degree of vaccination. However, doctors’ observations show that in fully vaccinated people, the duration of the disease is shorter and its course is milder.

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«Long COVID» after Omicron infection. What is known?

One more point remains. What about the so-called long covid after suffering from Omikron infection? It is known that with previous mutations, some patients experienced distressing symptoms (new or ongoing) four or more months after passing the disease. This state could last for weeks or even months. What’s more, it could touch anyone who has had a coronavirus infection, even a mild one.

The symptoms of long COVID-19 include: headache, joint and muscle pain, sleep disturbances, fatigue, dizziness, brain fog, problems with memory and concentration.

How will it be for the Omikron? “Unfortunately, it’s too early to know how many omicron infections will lead to long-term symptoms,” admits infectious disease specialist and Rush University Medical Center professor Michael Lin. But he already says how to reduce the risk of developing long COVID and COVID-19 in general. These are invariably: the basic vaccination cycle and booster dose, the use of good quality masks, maintaining social distancing and taking care of hand hygiene.

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