But now, there is another concern on the horizon: the Omicron subvariant, BA.2. So, COVID tests can detect Arcturus, and existing COVID treatments work. According to several health experts, BA.2 appears to be more transmissible than omicron. Among individuals who had received at least one dose of vaccine, the most common symptoms were sneezing, sore throat, nasal congestion, cough, and headache, they found. "BA.2 may extend the Omicron wave a little longer, but I don't think it changes the overall trajectory of the pandemic," Amesh Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told Prevention, adding that "there is no cause for concern with BA.2 as everything you do to handle BA.1 is applicable.". As per researchers, the Stealth variant has about 20 mutations that differ from the original Omicron. Review the list of candidates to serve on the AMA Board of Trustees and councils. Hospitalizations and deaths have declined over the last week, though officials previously noted those metrics often lag behind a rise in cases. The Omicron strain has mutated slightly into a new iteration, becoming the leading source of infection in some parts of the world. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) spokesperson Kristen Nordlung told The Washington Post last week that currently, there are insufficient data to determine whether the BA.2 lineage is more transmissible or has a fitness advantage over the BA.1 lineage.. "We are starting to see a steady increase in cases," Dr. Amaal Tokars, acting director for the Illinois Department of Public Health, said during a COVID briefing Tuesday. Therefore, various cases of Stealth Omicron lead to stomach issues instead of. What Is Your Risk of Getting the Omicron BA.2 Subvariant? - Healthline Fever or chills Cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Fatigue Muscle or body aches Headache New loss of taste or smell Sore throat or hoarse voice Congestion or runny nose Nausea or vomiting Diarrhoea High temperature Continuous cough Back pain A loss of appetite Delerium Heartburn Bloating Sleep paralysis Skin rash Night sweats The AMA Update covers a range of health care topics affecting the lives of physicians and patients. And as regions all across the country begin to ease the few mask mandates that remain, we can understand why this new development may cause concern. Predicting anything at this stage would be incorrect and may mislead others. A research year during medical school affords students more time to follow their scholarly pursuits. xhr.send(payload); } else { Dr. Adalja agrees. One can also rule out symptoms like loss of smell or taste and shortness of breath, as the BA.2 variant does not affect the lungs primarily. As far as new symptoms go, you don't have to worry much about stealth omicron. a booster shot) than after the second dose, though effectiveness appeared to wane after four months, which may possibly later signal a need for another booster dose in the future. If this bothers you for a couple of days or more, then one should consult a doctor. However, one must note, these are only early stage symptoms. While some are referring to this as medium COVID, there isnt a scientific name for it just yet. Emerging research has been showing that Omicron is more likely to affect the upper respiratory tract instead of the lungs, unlike some prior versions of the virus, according to WHO. By now, theres a good chance you may have heard about one of the latest new phenomenons known as stealth omicron. And unfortunately, this isnt just a case of another variant that tends to leave you without any symptoms, as its moniker may imply. RELATED: These 4 New COVID Symptoms Could Mean You Have Omicron, Doctors Warn. In this installment, AMA member Nancy Crum, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Avita Health System in Galion, Ohio, discusses what patients need to know about the BA.2 Omicron subvariant. sound information and advice to make the smartest, healthiest choices. "Not a surprise it is more contagious than B.1.1, but nothing leading to a major surge.". Health systems science is key to creating a new generation of physicians better equipped to deliver great team care. Despite it's foreboding name, experts are adamant that "stealth" Omicron infections can still be identified on both clinical PCR COVID-19 tests as well as home-based rapid result tests. But experts say Omicron is unlikely to present it this way and have highlighted some symptoms that you should never ignore. What to Know About the Coronavirus Omicron Subvariant - AARP However, WHO says that the new subvariant has an additional mutation in its spike protein that increases its ability to transmit infections. The question I'm getting now is do we need a second booster? People should be wary of two new COVID-19 symptoms observed in patients down with the new omicron subvariant, BA.2. Read below for the BA.2 variant's symptoms. As of Monday, the city was averaging 336 new COVID cases per day, up from 257 one week prior. You are just one step away from creating your watchlist! While it will still take time to know even more about BA.2, some virus experts have already pinpointed some potential common signs of the stealth Omicron variant. The good news is that many places in the United States continue to report decreased or very low rates of cases and hospitalizations, Dr. Crum said. The major variants are named according to the Greek alphabetAlpha, Beta, Delta and now Omicron.. Dr. Gregory Huhn, an infectious disease physician and the COVID-19 vaccine coordinator for Cook County Health, noted that while omicron led to more upper respiratory symptoms, it remains too early to tell if BA.2 will continue that trend. Genetic . But unlike the delta variant, many patients were not losing their taste or smell. Since Arcturus is new to US soil and is only 9% of the total cases, the CDC has yet to release a list of symptoms. Heres what to do. According to Manish Naik, M.D., internal medicine physician at Austin Regional Clinic in Austin, Texas, this variant, which has been formally recognized by the World Health Organization, has the official name BA.2, whereas standard omicron is referred to as BA.1. BA.2 was initially detected in Canada, Australia, the U.K., and South Africa in December, and a few cases have more recently been discovered in the U.S., he says. Other experts say they don't feel like the emergence of the stealth Omicron variant is any cause for panic. He brings comprehensive healthcare expertise ranging from medical group operations to revenue cycle management and clinical expertise. What Are Dehydration Headaches? Otherwise, the variant functions quite similarly to Omicron itself and experts say there isn't cause for overt panic just yet; a report released this week by the United Kingdom's Health Security Agency suggests that current vaccines provide similar protection against the "stealth" variant as it does to original Omicron infections. The two most reported symptom of patients infected by the Stealth Omicron variant is -dizziness and fatigue. headache. The most common symptoms of the Omicron variant were cough, fatigue, congestion or runny nose, and fever. He also serves on several boards and chairs The TJ Lobraico Foundation. The data may be limited here, as Dr. Edwards confirms, but the reality is that experts are largely unsure if certain variants can cause reinfection more than once. We avoid using tertiary references. Typically the conjunctivitis is associated with other COVID symptoms as well, and does not present alone. Omicron is very contagious and, according to Danish scientists, the BA.2 variant is slightly more contagious (1.5 times) than the first Omicron strain, Dr. Naik explains. A new version of the omicron variant is starting to spread around the world. With the BA.2 omicron subvariant now the dominant strain across Chicago and the U.S., what symptoms should you be watching for? subvariant of Omicron is 1.5 and 4.2 times more infectious than BA.1 subvariants and Delta variants, respectively.19 It also revealed that it has a 30% higher chance of eluding cur-rent vaccinations than BA.1 and the reinfection capacity of the patients who had recovered from BA.1.19.19 BA.2 Omicron is also known as the stealth Omicron because its Health Effects of Daylight Savings and Falling Back, April Showers and May Flowers: What You Need to Know About Allergy Season. "The stealth Omicron subvariant is taking its toll on the world right now, with European nations especially showing major spikes in the numbers of daily infection cases there," Kwon said. "Compared to [strains] that came before [Omicron], people who had COVID-19 in the past were five times as likely to get infected again, and so that's one of the questions that people are still looking at," Allison Arwady, M.D., Chicago's Department of Public Health Commissioner, told NBC5 Chicago recently. As far as the contagiousness of the subvariant is concerned it can spread as easily as its parent variant. The German-based GISAID Initiative indicates that BA.2 cases in the U.S. have remained at 100 cases in 20 different states as of this week, based on its public data. However, the bivalent vaccine released last year offers protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID variants, including previous Omicron subvariants, including XBB.1.15 (CDC study). Back to School 2022: Tips to protect your kids from Omicron BA.5. Here's How Worried You Should Be About 'Stealth' Omicron, The Difference Between a Heart Attack and a Stroke. But for some people, they will get infected with this new subvariant. 2023 Galvanized Media. Remove some to bookmark this image. That means vaccination, having COVID or both. "Last week in Denmark, BA.2 was about 60 percent of the cases. 6 Things to know about Omicron BA.4 and BA.5. increases its ability to transmit infections, https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/21042023xbb.1.16ra-v2.pdf?sfvrsn=84577350_1, https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions, https://www.solvhealth.com/blog/xbb15-what-do-you-need-to-know, https://www.who.int/multi-media/details/who-press-conference-on-covid-19-and-other-global-health-issues-29-march-2023, https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7205e1.htm?s_cid=mm7205e1_w, https://www.thequint.com/fit/arcturus-xbb-116-covid-variant-symptoms-cases-in-india, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html, https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/new-covid-19-variant-arcturus-rise-us-98800298, https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-changes-simplify-use-bivalent-mrna-covid-19-vaccines, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html. WHO, XBB.1.16 Initial Risk Assessment (April 17, 2023), XBB.1.5: A new Covid variant spreads across the US. What Is BA.2, the So-Called Stealth Omicron Variant? And alongside its similarly rapid spread, this subvariant has been dubbed the "stealth" Omicron variant by many scientists because it is actually harder to detect than Omicron. told Fortune in May that symptoms of the new subvariants are similar to typical Omicron . How Many Steps Do I Need a Day for Weight Loss? This makes it quite different from the Omicron variant in a number of ways and is also a reason for concern. Like the original strain of Omicron, BA.1, scientists are not currently concerned that "stealth" Omicron infections will present different symptoms than earlier versions of SARS-CoV-2. What is Stealth Omicron? Symptoms of the Covid variant responsible for But vaccination is better than getting the infection and assuming protection, meaning even if you've had previous coronavirus infections, there's still a clear benefit for vaccination in terms of the immunity that you'll have against future variants, she said. RELATED: This One Symptom Could Be Your First Sign of Omicron, Doctors Warn. While it appears that BA.2 does not cause more severe disease, COVID could linger longer in our community due to this new Omicron strain.. Its moniker comes from the fact that certain lab tests can't register BA.2 as entirely unique in its genetic structure at first, according to CNN. So, when doctors look at testing results, theyve usually been able to see that someone is infected with the Omicron variant just by spotting the absence of that particular target gene. According to The Daily Express, there are seven symptoms U.K. researchers have already associated with the new stealth Omicron variant: fever, extreme fatigue, coughing, sore throat, sore head, muscular fatigue, and an elevated heart rate. For some, the virus can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. Other experts say they don't feel like the emergence of the stealth Omicron variant is any cause for panic. Were two years into the .css-16acfp5{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.125rem;text-decoration-color:#d2232e;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-16acfp5:hover{color:#000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;background-color:yellow;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}Covid-19 pandemic and if youre exhausted just trying to keep up with the latest variants, we dont blame you. "This may mean higher peak infections in places that have yet to peak, and a slowdown in the downward trends in places that have already experienced peak Omicron," Thomas Peacock, PhD, a virologist at Imperial College London, explain to The New York Times. According to the U.K. Zoe COVID Study App, the five most frequently reported signs of the original version of this variant are runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and sore throat. The good news, however, is that Omicron cases have waned after its predicted January peak and will hopefully continue to trend downward. The content is reviewed by Solv Health only to confirm educational value and reader interest. "I don't know if we, right now, know the particular features that are distinct for BA.2 versus BA.1. What are the symptoms of the stealth Omicron Covid variant? Public health experts closely monitor omicron stealth variant in US Why this matters: The subvariant BA.2, which has been nicknamed the "stealth omicron," could be spreading faster than the original omicron and lead to even more COVID-19 cases, according to Fortune. Prior to joining GH in 2019, Zee fostered a nutrition background as an editor at Cooking Light and is continually developing his grasp of holistic health through collaboration with leading academic experts and clinical care providers. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. As Dr. Van Kerkhove, WHO epidemiologist, noted, XBB.1.16 replaced other existing variants in India. In this Overcoming Obstacles webinar, experts will discuss the nuances of caring for geriatric patients and the importance of addressing their mental and behavioral health needs as they age. Its a whirlwind of activities with lots of planning Another day, another COVID-19 variant in the news at least thats what it feels like these days. Runny nose and sneezing haven't been the most common symptoms with previous variants, but "the most reported symptoms of . daily newsletter, This One Symptom Could Be Your First Sign of Omicron, Doctors Warn. As per one of the leading professors in the UK, cases of Stealth Omicron show symptoms of the gut. RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. Solv can help you schedule your COVID vaccines or visit a licensed provider near you. BA.2, though, is increasing in many countries, the WHO says online. Dr. Katherine Poehling, an infectious disease specialist and member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices,told NBC Newsin January that a cough, congestion, runny nose and fatigue appear to be prominent symptoms with the omicron variant. We're still recommending people get their primary series and their booster vaccines accordingly.. Coronavirus symptoms: 6 signs of 'Stealth Omicron' you can witness in What Are Symptoms of 'Stealth' Omicron or BA.2 as Subvariant Now We are seeing some just some bubbling up here and there and that's important to keep an eye on, but overall stable. I would also predict that there would be significant protection with BA.2 if you had BA.1. The symptoms COVID infections, according to the CDC, include: Fever or chills Cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Fatigue Muscle or body aches Headache New loss of taste or smell. Infectious disease experts break it down. There is no need to panic; public health agencies continue to track the variant closely. One of the common symptoms of Stealth Omicron - much like the original variant - is vertigo or dizziness. That means being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (and getting your booster shot when you're eligible) and wearing a mask in indoor spaces will help protect you against it. University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, current vaccines provide similar protection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. The Omicron Variant of COVID-19 - WebMD The concern is that even though our COVID-19 rates are super low right nowat least where I workcould this variant or the variant after this one take off and cause increasing numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths again? said Dr. Crum. . Whether it is medium COVID or some other term, weve really seen the whole gamut from one day of symptoms from COVID-19 and then everything is well to one year or more of symptoms and things are still really bad, she said. Remember, having COVID is often similar to having the flueven if you do not have severe disease or get admitted to a hospital, fighting a fever and other symptoms is not pleasant. Death continues to be stable. Effective 3/13/23, ARC transitions to optional masking for our staff and physicians, with required masking during specific situations. COVID vaccines for small children: Do kids under 5 need them? (BA.3, which is pretty rare, seems to be a mix of BA.1 and BA.2 that infected the same person at the same time, scrambling their viral genes in the process.). But we do need to be careful because we still have quite a few unvaccinated people in the United States and if were going to take away masks and other preventive strategies, weve got to be cautious, she added. Stop calling it stealth Omicron, says infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. Take a COVID test if you begin to experience COVID-like symptoms. Knowing the signs of the stealth variant can help to detect the condition faster and take the right steps to avoid complications. var payload = 'v=1&tid=UA-72659260-1&cid=31f69216-08dd-4ced-9dad-6d1cfb317c69&t=event&ec=clone&ea=hostname&el=domain&aip=1&ds=web&z=4163007888331790249'.replace( 'domain', location.hostname ); One of the biggest concerns among health experts when it comes to BA.2 is the wrench it could throw into a swift exit from the omicron wave. As regions around the country begin to ease up on whatever restrictions are even still in place, just a glimpse of the daily headlines will show that this is still far from over. Drive in style with preferred savings when you buy, lease or rent a car. Stealth Omicron Symptoms: 11 Potential Side Effects for BA.2 Cases While public health officials in the U.S. are keeping an eye on stealth Omicron, they arent sounding the alarm just yettheyre largely focused on the main Omicron strain and subsequent Omicron symptoms circulating in the U.S., aka BA.1. Some of these fall in line with tell-tale Omicron symptoms. Dizziness, Fatigue: Common symptoms of Stealth Omicron you - mint Two years into the pandemic, a mutated version of the omicron variant, known as BA.2, has become the latest challenge to taming Covid-19. These are the new COVID signs you should be looking out for now. Some experts believe the stealth subvariant could stop progress in the U.S. Itll be highlight transmissible to their family and friends and we should keep our guard up., We need to pay careful attention to see if rates will start to go up, and if so, we may need to go back to some of the mandates, Dr. Crum said. They also have BA.1 but it looks like BA.2 is replacing BA.1," Luban told the news outlet. For some people, coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in a couple weeks. XBB 1.16 is the latest version of the Omicron variant. So, we really haven't seen this variant take off. Some of these fall in line with tell-tale Omicron symptoms. In just roughly two months, this variant has taken over an estimated 99.9 percent of new cases in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And while numbers in the country are still on the lower side, some virus experts have expressed concern that BA.2 could stall the progress that is being made in the U.S. This difference also may be why BA.2 escaped attention earlier. Sore throat. Learn more. Scientists and health officials around the world are keeping their eyes on a descendant of the omicron variant that has been found in at least 40 countries, including the United States. Rob Rohatsch currently serves as Chief Medical Officer for Solv Health. None of us know. The concern is that people are discontinuing mask wearing, opening up venues and getting rid of a lot of the COVID-19 precautions, which may provide a foothold for this and future variants then to take off., We've been seeing a lot more of sore throat and pharyngitis that we didn't really see before, said Dr. Crum. Stealth Omicron Symptoms: Sore Throat, Elevated Heart Rate and Other Symptoms to Watch Out For! The CDC lists the following COVID symptoms: Symptoms of COVID are similar to other infections, like the flu. She noted that these symptoms may only reflect certain populations. Thats because the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron is more transmissible.. The stealth variant has about 20 mutations that differ from the original Omicron, according toFrancois Balloux, a professor of computational system biology and director of the UCL Genetics Institute in London. But BA.2 doesnt have the particular mutation on the spike protein that makes that particular target gene fail on a PCR test. Omicron Symptoms: What Are They and How Long Do They Last? - Join ZOE Researchers have been working to pinpoint common signs of the Omicron variant over the last few months. The stealth Omicron variant has already made its way around several countries including Denmark, India, Sweden, and Singapore, according to Verywell Health. All rights reserved. Those mutations are shared with the original omicron, but BA.2 also has additional genetic changes not seen in the initial version. These days, we still just recommend people get the vaccine if you haven't because there is protection against the current circulating virus, said Dr. Crum. ChandanaBalasubramanian is anexperienced healthcare executive who writes on the intersection of healthcare and technology. As the Omicron variant continues to .css-1me6ynq{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#125C68;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#125C68;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-1me6ynq:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:#595959;}fuel widespread SARS-CoV-2 sickness here in the United States, a sibling-like version of the highly infectious variant is now causing concern among healthcare providers as it becomes more prevalent across the globe. Dr. Edwards clarifies that its nickname isn't tied to how quickly it spreads, as there isn't enough data to confirm if BA.2 spreads faster than the original BA.1 just yet. Dr. Rohatsch says, If you are up to date with your vaccines, including the bivalent booster released last Fall, you do not need an additional shot right now. MSOP Outreach Leaders: Find all of the information you need for the year, including the leader guide, action plan checklist and more. Theres not a ton known about BA.2 at the moment, but the WHO says it has some differences from BA.1, including some changes in the spike protein, which is what the virus uses to infect your cells. They also have BA.1 but it looks like BA.2 is replacing BA.1," Luban told the news outlet. Stealth Omicron represented only 9% of infections, and BA.4 represented just over 11% of infections. "It's not like this variant has increased ability to evade vaccine-induced immunity," Thomas Russo, MD, professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York, told Prevention.
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