When do omicron subvariant symptoms start? The time it takes for an infected person to develop symptoms after an exposure is shorter for the omicron variant than for previous variants — from a full week down to as little as three days or less, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
People infected with flu typically develop symptoms 1-4 days after infection. Those with COVID-19 typically develop symptoms 3-4 days after being infected. However, people infected with COVID-19 can show symptoms as early as 2 days or as late as 14 days after infection.
The time from exposure to symptom onset (known as the incubation period) is thought to be two to 14 days. Symptoms typically appeared within five days for early variants, and within four days for the Delta variant. The incubation period appears to be even shorter – about three days – for the Omicron variant.
The mean virus incubation period during the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA. 5–dominant period in Japan was 2.6 (95% CI 2.5–2.8) days, which was less than during the Delta- dominant period. Incubation period correlated with shared meals and adult infectors. A shorter incubation suggests a shorter quarantine period for BA.
Key times to get tested: If you have symptoms, test immediately. If you were exposed to COVID-19 and do not have symptoms, wait at least 5 full days after your exposure before testing. If you test too early, you may be more likely to get an inaccurate result.
A previous meta-analysis of 99 studies last updated in January, 2021, estimated that the mean incubation period was 6·38 days.
"One new feature of cases caused by this variant is that it seems to be causing conjunctivitis, or red and itchy eyes, in young patients. This is not something that we've seen with prior strains of the virus," Dr. Binnicker adds. Red itchy eyes in young patients are symptoms of the new omicron variant.
Based on data for 36 transmission pairs for the Omicron BA. 1 subvariant and 42 transmission pairs for the Delta variant (Table), the incubation period for BA. 1 was shorter by ≈1 day, a median of 3 (IQR 2–4) days, compared with 4 (IQR 3–7) days for Delta (Figure). Incubation period could not be calculated for BA.
You can also spread COVID-19 in the 48 hours before your symptoms start. If you never have symptoms, consider yourself most infectious in the 5 days after you test positive.
Get tested for COVID-19 3-5 days after your last exposure. If you test positive, follow the guidance in What to do if you test positive for COVID-19. If you test negative by an antigen test, consider retesting with an antigen test 24-48 hours after the first negative test.
Delta's incubation period is approximately four days, which means if the Delta variant infects, you will start showing symptoms within four days.
How Long Does It Take to Catch a Cold From Someone Else? Unlike the flu, where symptoms come on suddenly, colds take time to develop. Once you catch a cold from someone else, it can take two or three days before you begin to feel symptoms.
You can leave isolation if: It has been 5 days after your symptoms began (or if you never develop symptoms, 5 days after your initial positive test), and. You are fever-free for at least 24 hours (without taking fever-reducing medications), and. Other symptoms are improving.
You may need to get tested even if you do not have symptoms. You can have COVID-19 and spread it to others even if you do not have symptoms. Your COVID-19 test can be negative even if you are infected. Most people do not test positive for the virus until days after exposure.
Omicron Variant's Incubation Period Is About 3 Days—What That Means.
Longer incubation at ends of age spectrum
The last finding was not significant. Average incubation times for each variant were 5.00 days (Alpha; 1 study), 4.50 (Beta; 1), 5.10 days (Beta/Gamma; 1), 4.41 (Delta; 6), and 3.42 (Omicron; 5).
Fever or chills. Cough. Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. Fatigue.
Symptoms of Omicron can be similar to the original COVID-19 virus and other variants, which can include a combination of the following: fever, cough, congestion, runny nose, headache, sore throat, muscle pains/aches and fatigue. “Fever, cough and headache look to be the most common symptoms from the current data.
On June 30, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added three symptoms to its COVID-19 list: Congestion/stuffy nose, nausea and diarrhea. Those three new conditions now join other symptoms identified by the CDC: Fever.
This fits with early data from the U.K. showing that fever and cough are not as prevalent with omicron cases there and that the five top symptoms are runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing and sore throat. With omicron, the symptoms also come on more quickly once you're infected.
The first symptoms of COVID-19 can be more gradual. While COVID-19 symptoms can develop as early as two days after you're infected, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says five days after infection is typical.
Early signs of the cold and flu include fever, headache, cough, congestion, sore throat, body aches, chills and/or exhaustion. If you treat your symptoms early enough, you may be able to prevent the virus from spreading to others or becoming worse. The first 24 hours are critical.
You are contagious for the entire period of time symptoms are present, all the way until they disappear. Keep in mind, however, when your symptoms are at their worst—generally the first two to three days—you are at your most infectious.