Sunday, September 24, 2023

How Long Does Sore Throat Last With Omicron

How Long Do Sore Throats Following Surgery Last

Covid-19: Patients come to clinics with sore throats, says doctor | THE BIG STORY

If you require intubation during surgery, you may have a sore throat when you wake up. During intubation, an endotracheal tube is inserted through the mouth and down the throat into an airway. Intubation is used to help you breathe with a ventilator if youre unable to breathe on your own during surgery.

Postsurgical dehydration may also cause discomfort or scratchiness in the throat.

Drink fluids and speak as little as possible to avoid postsurgical sore throat. In many cases, symptoms should clear up within a few days. If you have a sore throat that lasts for more than a week following a surgical procedure, let your doctor know.

Omicron Symptoms By Vaccine Type

“Every patient Ive seen with Covid thats had a 3rd booster dose has had mild symptoms. By mild I mean mostly sore throat. Lots of sore throat. Also some fatigue, maybe some muscle pain. No difficulty breathing. No shortness of breath. All a little uncomfortable, but fine,” Spencer wrote.

From there, it goes downhill – slowly, though.

“Most patients Ive seen that had 2 doses of Pfizer/Moderna still had mild symptoms, but more than those who had received a third dose. More fatigued. More fever. More coughing. A little more miserable overall. But no shortness of breath. No difficulty breathing. Mostly fine,” he said.

For those who just had the one shot of the J& J vaccine and never took a booster, the situation isn’t as good.

“Most patients Ive seen that had one dose of J& J and had Covid were worse overall. Felt horrible. Fever for a few days . Weak, tired. Some shortness of breath and cough. But not one needing hospitalization. Not one needing oxygen. Not great. But not life-threatening,” he tweeted.

And then there are the unvaccinated, who by all data are being hospitalized at a rate 15x or more the vaccinated.

Hospitalizations are increasing as Omicron cases reach record highs in NYC and all across the country.But as I noticed on my recent ER shifts, take a look at who needs admission to the hospital for severe Covid? TL DR Its the unvaccinated.

Craig Spencer MD MPH

In This Article We Explain The Five Main Omicron Symptoms While Looking At Why The Variant Is Still Dominant In Global Public Health

The most important thing to do is take a test to confirm any suspicions of COVID. Even a mild cold has some of the key symptoms of the virus.

With Omicron being more infectious than Delta, it is also good to move quickly in figuring out if you have it or not.

Explaining the continuing power of the virus in a recent World Health Organisation press conference, Dr Abdi Mahamud said: So, while everyone was saying Omicron is milder, I think we missed the point that half a million people have died since this was detected.*

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How Worried Should I Be About Omicron

The BA.5 omicron subvariant accounted for nearly 54% of the countrys Covid cases as of July 2, according to the CDC. BA.4 accounts for 17% of sampled cases.

Because the BA.5 subvariant is so much more transmissible, people should probably “re-engage in some of the prevention strategies that we recommended earlier,” Gulick said. “So wearing masks indoors or wearing masks in crowded places is a reasonable thing to do.”

There is no data yet to suggest that BA.5 or other known omicron subvariants are “more aggressive viruses than the other ones,” Gulick said.

Because it is easier to catch than the other viruses, people really need to get vaccinated and boosted, he said.

“Thats the best protection we have.”

How Is Covid Diagnosed

COVID is diagnosed with a physical examination and a patient history which will include asking if the patient had any known recent exposure to the virus.

If COVID is suspected, tests used to diagnose the virus include:

  • Results can take hours to up to one week
  • More accurate than an antigen test
  • Results are available in less than one hour
  • Less accurate than a PCR test
  • An antibody test may be used to determine if a person had a past COVID-19 infection, but it is not used to diagnose current infections because it takes up to 3 weeks following infection for the body to produce antibodies to the virus.

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    What Doctors Wish Patients Knew About The Ba2 Omicron Subvariant

    With the rolling back of mask requirements and physical distancing, many people have been on a search for a new normal. But there is still reason to be cautious. The highly transmissible and contagious BA.2 Omicron subvariantdubbed stealth Omicronis now the dominant strain in the United States, causing more than 85% of all COVID-19 cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . This has led to more questions.

    Many States Have Low Positivity Rates

    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. So, we really haven’t seen this variant take off.

    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.

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    But If You Have A Sore Throat Assume That Its Covid

    Although many of us have been trained to think of a sore throat as no big deal , COVID-19 requires a change of mentality.

    People who have any flu- or cold-like symptoms should assume they have COVID-19 until proven otherwise, said Chicagos Department of Public Health commissioner, Allison Arwady, MD, in a on January 11.

    Even if its a sore throat, no matter what it is, said Dr. Arwady. Ive told my own staff this, it’s what I do myself … if you are sick, even a little bit sick, stay home. More true than ever right now because sick, even a little bit sick, until proven otherwise with a test thats COVID. Thats how we treat it, thats how you should treat it.

    What Does A Covid Sore Throat Feel Like

    Do Nasal or Throat Swabs Work Better to Detect Omicron?

    Key takeaways:

    • Most people who get coronavirus disease experience mild to moderate respiratory illness.

    • Some people with COVID-19 complain of having a sore throat.

    • People who have had it describe a COVID sore throat as scratchy and irritated.

    COVID-19 is the disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Since the World Health Organization classified it as a global pandemic in March 2020, new variants have emerged. Not everyone who tests positive for COVID-19 experiences a sore throat. But for many variants, a sore throat is one of the most prominent symptoms.

    A sore throat could range from feelings of scratchiness to severe pain. Some people say a COVID sore throat feels like allergies. Others say it is like having strep throat. Many treatments and over-the-counter medications are available to treat COVID-19. These options can help ease the symptoms that may come with a COVID-19 diagnosis.

    Each patient experience is unique, even if given the same diagnosis. Heres what four people who experienced it say a COVID sore throat feels like:

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    Should I Continue To Wear A Mask How Effective Are N95 Masks Vs Surgical Masks Vs Cloth Masks

    Several studies, including one from UC Davis, indicate how effective masks can be in protecting yourself and others. Its important to remember that you may be asymptomatic and not know you are infected but still able to spread COVID-19. Wearing a mask in these situations helps protect vulnerable people you could unknowingly infect.

    Mask guidance continues to change, depending on rates of spread within communities, as well as the levels of vaccination and immunity people have from both vaccination and infection. Even if masking is not required, consider wearing a mask in public indoor spaces if you or people you live with are at high risk for severe disease.

    Consider upgrading your face masks to N95s or KN95s if you want more protection. Cloth masks reduce the risk of infection by about 50%. This is compared to surgical masks that reduce the rate of infection by about 60-70%, and greater than 80% for N95s.

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    It means cutting the isolation period to five days is likely to be a blessing for a large number of people.

    Professor Tim Spector, lead of the study, said: Many people get better, test negative, and get back to normal life within those five days.

    The data is based on vaccinated individuals, so cannot account for illness in those who have had a single or zero jabs.

    For them, the duration is probably longer and the illness more severe, Prof Spector warned.

    The large majority of people struck with Covid at the moment have cold-like symptoms, including a runny nose, headache and sore throat.

    Again, this is largely thanks to vaccines which have helped dampen the severity of the illness.

    But, although Omicron appears to be more mild, it can still cause long-lasting symptoms for an unlucky few.

    Studies have shown that even mild cases of Covid can trigger persistent symptoms.

    However, with less hospitalised Covid patients, this may mean fewer people get long Covid in the Omicron wave, some experts say.

    US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci reiterated that long Covid was a possibility regardless of the variant.

    He said: Long Covid can happen no matter what virus variant occurs. Theres no evidence that theres any difference between Delta or Beta or now Omicron.

    In an article for John Hopkins Medicine, Lisa Maragakis, M.D., M.P.H., senior director of infection prevention, said: Those with a mild case of Covid-19 usually recover in one to two weeks.

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    Omicron Variant Continues To Dominate Global Public Health

    While vaccination roll-outs across some regions continue successfully, other countries face the likelihood of a fifth wave with less than 50% of the population fully vaccinated. They are dealing with vaccine hesitancy, infrastructural issues, and existing public health issues.

    Most importantly, they are not legally allowed the recipe for existing vaccines despite having empty factories waiting to make them. The legal fight to let countries make their own vaccines continues on, but is far from done.

    In an open letter, the Movement of International Students 4 Trips Waiver said: Lessons from the AIDS/HIV crisis have not been learnt.

    OPEN LETTER addressed to the EU, UK, Norway and Switzerland to stop blocking the TRIPSWaiver proposal in @wto

    Movement of International Students 4 TRIPS Waiver

    A technology transfer scheme attempts to work around a loophole in the complexities of international law, but will only produce usable vaccines for hard-hit regions in 2024.

    In countries like Ukraine, facing Russian violence, access to medical oxygen supplies is another huge issue. Without access to oxygen, individuals hospitalised with severe COVID will have no treatment.

    In other places, COVID restrictions have been relaxed entirely. In the UK, people who test positive for the virus are legally allowed to mix with the rest of the population. Masks are no longer required either. The UK has one of the highest death rates in the world, comparative to population size.

    Sore Throat Hoarse Voice Top Omicron Symptoms Study Suggests

    The top symptoms of COVID-19 from the omicron variant, a sore throat and hoarse voice, differ from common symptoms from other variants, CBSNewsreported July 19.

    A June 15 study from U.K.-based Zoe Health examined the symptoms of more than 62,000 positive COVID-19 tests between June 1 and Nov. 27, 2021, when the delta variant was dominant, and Dec. 20, 2021, to Jan. 17, when the omicron variant was dominant.

    Three key findings:

    • Omicron symptoms lasted for shorter periods than delta symptoms: 6.87 days and 8.89 days, respectively.
    • Loss of smell appeared in less than 20 percent of omicron cases and often days after the first symptoms began.
    • Omicron is found less frequently in lower respiratory tracts, which can cause severe symptoms.

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    Sore Throats Caused By Strep Throat

    Strep throat is caused by the bacteria Streptococcus . Strep throat typically requires treatment from a doctor and may require antibiotics.

    Once you begin antibiotic treatment, strep throat symptoms should dissipate quickly. You may begin to feel relief from symptoms within one to two days. After beginning antibiotics, your symptoms should disappear completely within one week or less.

    Sore throats caused by postnasal drip may be chronic. That means your throat may be sore until the underlying cause of the postnasal drip is treated.

    Could Omicron Lead To Long Covid

    Although much about the omicron variant remains unknown, some experts say it could lead to long Covid, even with mild cases. In a recent study, British researchers found that the omicron variant is less likely to cause long Covid symptoms than delta, although all of the 41,361 adult participants who regularly reported their Covid symptoms on a phone app had been vaccinated.

    Patients with long-term symptoms can experience crushing fatigue, irregular heart rhythms and other issues months after their initial Covid infections. That occurred during the first wave of the pandemic, and it continued to lead to long Covid issues through the delta wave.

    Previous research suggests that vaccination can greatly reduce the risk for long Covid.

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    How Long Do Symptoms Last

    As far as how long these Omicron symptoms last, research published in April 2022 in The Lancet shows that people have acute symptoms for about six to seven daysabout two days shorter than Delta’s eight to nine days of acute illness.

    That said, the length of symptoms varies greatly depending on the person, their vaccination status, the severity the disease, and any risk factors. “In general, the fact that Omicron is occurring in a highly-immune population should diminish the symptoms because the virus is able to clear faster,” said Dr. Adalja.

    Despite these often less severe symptoms and potentially reduced symptom duration, it’s still essential for those who are at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 to check in with a health care provider if they contract the virus.

    This way, they can potentially get a prescription for Paxlovid, an antiviral medication used to help prevent severe illness from the disease. While some people have reported ‘Paxlovid rebound‘or a recurrence of COVID-19 symptoms after they’ve finished their course of treatmentthose rebound symptoms tend to be mild and only last a few days.

    Does Omicron Ba5 Cause More Severe Illness Than Other Strains Of Covid

    Unique symptoms associated with the omicron variant

    Omicron BA.5 is more likely to cause less severe illness compared to other variants. The majority of breakthrough infections are not resulting in severe illness. Given how infectious BA.5 is, its important for everyone to take all precautions, including getting vaccinated and wearing a well-fitted face mask .

    New research finds that with each repeat COVID infection even asymptomatic infection your risk for complications increases. This includes an increased risk for:

    • digestive and kidney disorders
    • long-term cognitive impairment, including dementia

    Each reinfection also carries with it the risk of long COVID or ongoing COVID symptoms that can last for weeks or months after infection.

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    President Biden On ’60 Minutes’: The Covid

    Those subvariants have caused more upper respiratory, cold and flu-like symptoms, according to Arwady. That incudes things like fever, night sweats and sore throat. Some patients, though not all, are again experiencing a loss of taste and smell.

    Arwady has also said previously that a lingering cough is common among those infected by the most recent COVID variants.

    Some doctors and researchers believe that because these new variants spread so rapidly, they more commonly impact mucosal immunity as opposed to longer-lasting immunity, Arwady noted.

    The latest variants tend to sit in the nasal passage and cause infection, she said, instead of settling in the lungs. That shift could lead to a nasal COVID vaccine in the future, according to Arwady.

    The U.K., where BA.4 and BA.5 infections also account for the majority of recent COVID cases, reported runny nose, sore throat, headache, persistent cough and fatigue as its most common symptoms last week.

    Less than one-third of people surveyed reported fevers, according to data from the Zoe COVID Symptom Study, which allows people to self-report symptoms through smartphone apps. The symptoms are consistent with those reported in the spring, when the BA.2 subvariant was dominant in the country.

    This article tagged under:

    Days Or Fewer Since A Previous Infection

    If you get COVID-19 symptoms again and it has been 28 days or fewer since a previous infection and:

    • you are low risk, you do not need to take another test stay home and recover, until 24 hours after you no longer have symptoms
    • you have an underlying health condition or have COVID-19-like symptoms that are getting worse, you should seek advice from a health practitioner or Healthline on .

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    If Im Vaccinated And Dont Have Symptoms But Think I Was Exposed To Covid

    Most likely. Unfortunately, omicron is so easily spread that even those who are fully vaccinated and boosted may get the illness. If you know you had contact with an infected person, particularly in a higher-risk situation , testing is advised. You should also quarantine, watch for COVID-19 symptoms, stay away from others in your home, and wear a mask. If you test positive, then you should isolate.

    However, if you were in a situation where people were outside, masked and distanced, the risk of infection is much lower. Instead of testing right away, you could monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and get tested if any develop.

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