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The deadly pandemic is sweeping across the world, with cases reported in every part of the United States. Symptoms can range from barely perceptible to severely dangerous, but experts want these two things to be clear: BA.5 variant is the most contagious so far and it may able to avoid immunization. Even if your condition is only moderate, you’re not out of the woods yet for Long COVID. While cold symptoms can resemble those of a typical virus, experts warn that COVID has distinct health symptoms and what to expect from BA.5 right now.
1 — Signs You’ve Had COVID
“With the current omicron sub-variant (BA.5) that has been circulating, in the clinic, we’re seeing more people with COVID who have symptoms that are more consistent with having upper respiratory tract infections; a dry cough, sore throat, and a runny nose,” says Dr. Joe Gastaldo of OhioHealth’s medical director for infectious diseases. “Of course, COVID symptoms can still exist in individuals who have COVID-19. The top five COVID signs currently being reported are running nose, sneezing, headache, and a persistent cough. COVID-19 can easily be missed, which could result in a missed vaccine,” adds Dr. Syeda Amna Husain. “After you’ve been vaccinated, symptoms might not seem as bad but they might still include fever, chills, headaches, tightness in the chest, tiredness, sore throat, and even more severe symptoms like shortness of breath and brain fog.” Long COVID, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, can cause a variety of symptoms, including brain fog and shortness of breath. Fortunately, vaccines may help to decrease the rate of long COVID. The simplest way to determine whether you’ve had COVID-19 is to take an at-home antigen test from Abbott’s BinaxNOW. Other brands are accessible, such as QuickVue’s At-Home OTC test and ON/GO’s COVID Antigen Self-Test.
2 — How Can Someone Not Know They have Had COVID?
“It’s quite probable that you were infected with COVID at some point in the past without realizing it, as around 40% of confirmed COVID infections are asymptomatic,” states Dr. Husain. Because of this, it is still critical to test whether you believe you’ve been exposed. According to experts, testing should be done 3-5 days following exposure, even if you are continuing to show no symptoms; however, they caution against doing so more than once per week
3 — Why Getting Re-infected with COVID is Risky
Dr. Gastaldo says, “It would be incorrect to believe that COVID is “a simple virus.” If a person is unvaccinated, overdue in obtaining CDC recommended boosters, or has an at-risk condition, they face a greater risk of severe infection that can result in hospitalization or even death. Even if COVID does not lead to severe illness, having a repeat COVID infection or a post-vaccination infection might result in long COVID symptoms. Both unvaccinated and vaccinated people who get COVID are susceptible to extended symptoms, some of which could be debilitating. According To the CDC, about one in 13 adults in America develop Long COVID sickness after being infected.”
