Coronavirus chronicles: The Omicron variant and all you need to know about it
It wasn’t so long ago when cases were down to around 200 a day and we were hopeful of life going back to what we once knew was normal—then enter: Omicron, the newest coronavirus variant. And so here we are again, starting the new year, stuck at home, because of another spike in cases.
Just as the positivity rate increases, so does the surge of information; so much so that it can get confusing to separate fact from fiction. So, we’re breaking it down for you with what we know so far about the supposedly less severe, yet more infectious Omicron:
While vaccines work well in protecting one against the severe effects of the coronavirus, their effectiveness decreases over time, and the same goes for the antibodies in someone who has contracted the virus before.
Boosters have been developed to increase protection against the virus and its new variants, but their efficiency against the newer and even variants that may come in the future have yet to be proven. Plus, the Omicron variant spreads more easily that the original virus and the Delta variant.
In a nutshell, we’ve separated the symptoms into the following:
|
COVID-19 (Delta) |
COVID-19 (Omicron) |
COLDS |
FLU |
|
Slow symptoms Headache Sore throat Runny nose Fever Body malaise Loss of smell/taste |
Slow symptoms Cough Fatigue & tiredness Congestion Runny nose |
Slow symptoms Runny nose Stuffy nose Sore throat Cough Congestion |
Immediate symptoms Fever Cough Sore throat Runny nose Stuffy nose Body malaise Headaches |
Naturally, with the similarity of symptoms and with more people experiencing less severe COVID-19 symptoms, it’s hard to tell who has what. For the time being, it’s safest to assume it’s COVID-19, unless diagnosed otherwise—so when in doubt, get tested!
Whether or not you are vaccinated and you contract the virus, stay at home and isolate for 10 days, as instructed by the Department of Health. Meanwhile, the isolation period for positive patients with severe and critical cases is 21 days.
On Day 1 since your exposure, get antigen tested right away, and observe yourself for symptoms that may start to show. Should there still be no symptoms by Day 5, book a PCR Test to ensure you did not contract the virus; if you develop symptoms earlier, you may take a test sooner too. Within at least ten days of exposure, whether or not you test positive, stay masked around others to protect them and yourself.
For the first five days since your exposure, stay at home and isolate yourself. Get PCR tested on Day 5 to be on the safe side, or earlier if symptoms start to show. Up until at least ten days since your exposure, keep wearing a mask, especially when around others to ensure everyone stays protected.
Because of the variant’s high transmission rate, there is no foolproof way to ensure that you don’t test positive for COVID-19. But, just as it has been with all other variants, it’s important to stay at home or limit going out only to what is absolutely necessary, stay masked, maintain proper hygiene, drink your daily vitamins and supplements, and get vaccinated and boosted.
Stock up on what you need to stay protected without having to leave your house by letting Healthmart bring health to your home. At Healthmart, you’ll find vitamins, supplements, and other products like Covispray to keep your symptoms at bay.
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