(Omicron replaced Delta as the predominant variant, but in March 2022, the CDC still included Delta on its list of variants of concern in the U.S., even though it accounted for 0% of cases in the U.S. at that time.)

What is the current dominant COVID-19 strain in the US?

June 28, 2022, at 1:17 p.m. CDC: BA.4, BA.5 Now Dominant in U.S. A pair of omicron subvariants that only recently started circulating in the U.S. have taken over as the dominant coronavirus strains, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Does the Omicron COVID-19 variant cause more severe disease?

Omicron infection generally causes less severe disease than infection with prior variants. Preliminary data suggest that Omicron may cause more mild disease, although some people may still have severe disease, need hospitalization, and could die from the infection with this variant.

How do the COVID-19 Delta variants differ?

Research suggests that changes to the spike protein may make the Delta variant up to 50% more transmissible than other COVID-19 variants. For people who haven't had the coronavirus vaccine, the Delta variant may cause more severe illness than the original strain of the virus.

Are COVID-19 vaccines effective against COVID-19 delta variant?

In fact, COVID-19 cases have increased over 300% nationally from June 19 to July 23, 2021, driven by Delta variant.

The best way to stop the spread of Delta is to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccines are preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death, and are effective against the Delta variant.

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Are the existing COVID-19 vaccines effective against new variants?

With each new variant, the COVID vaccines and their boosters remain our most powerful tool to fight all the strains of COVID-19 because the vaccines continue to significantly reduce the severity of the illness.

Can you get the Delta variant if you've had the COVID-19 vaccine?

Having two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine remains the most effective way of ensuring protection against the Delta variant first identified in India, preliminary research has found.

How do they identify different variants of COVID-19?

The viral tests that are used to determine if a person has COVID-19 are not designed to tell you what variant is causing the infection. Identifying COVID-19 variants requires a special type of testing called genomic sequencing. Due to the volume of COVID-19 cases, sequencing is not performed on all viral samples.

Does the Delta COVID-19 variant show symptoms more quickly?

The symptoms of the delta variant appear to be the same as the original version of COVID-19. However, physicians are seeing people getting sicker quicker, especially for younger people. Recent research found that the delta variant grows more rapidly – and to much greater levels – in the respiratory tract.

How contagious is the COVID-19 Delta variant?

Delta is believed to be more than twice as contagious as previous variants, and studies have shown that it may be more likely than the original virus to put infected people in the hospital.

Should I be worried about getting the COVID-19 Omicron variant?

While some have suggested that most people will eventually get the coronavirus, you should do your best to avoid infection with Omicron—there is no justification for deliberately getting infected so you have what you think will be a mild illness that will provide you with more immunity going forward, the doctors say.

What are some of the symptoms of the COVID-19 Omicron strain?

Both coronavirus variants had common symptoms such as runny nose, headache and sneezing, but debilitating symptoms such as brain fog, dizziness and fever were less prevalent in Omicron cases.

How does the Omicron variant affect mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Overall mortality risk in the 28 days after a positive test was 0.27% after Delta, falling to 0.11% after Omicron. The difference in risk varied considerably with age, being 75% lower for Omicron compared with Delta for those aged 60-69 years.

What are some symptoms of the COVID-19 BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants?

According to experts, most of the symptoms of recent subvariant are the same as other strains of COVID, including a stuffy nose, body aches, sore throat, sneezing, headache, coughing, fatigue and more.

How long does COVID-19 rebound last?

So far there have been no reports of severe illness in those who have experienced covid rebound, and most people seem to recover and stop testing positive around three days later without needing additional covid-19 treatment.

What is Paxlovid for COVID-19?

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir tablets; ritonavir tablets) is a prescription oral antiviral drug that reduces the risk of hospitalization and death for patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at risk of disease progression and severe illness (1).

How long does it take to show symptoms after you have been exposed to COVID-19?

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. If you have fever, cough, or other symptoms, you might have COVID-19.

How long does it take for COVID-19 symptoms to start showing?

People with COVID-19 have reported a wide range of symptoms – from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. If you have fever, cough, or other symptoms, you might have COVID-19.

Are you still contagious 10 days after the first day of COVID-19 symptoms?

So, there is potential for people to be infectious beyond their seven-day isolation if they are still symptomatic. After ten days, most people are not infectious. Multiple studies have shown there is very little, if any, transmission after day ten, regardless of the variant.

Can the tests determine which COVID-19 variants I have antibodies to?

No, there's no commercial test available at this time that can determine which variant(s) you have antibodies to. However, it's very likely that antibodies produced from exposure to one COVID-19 variant will help protect you against other variants.

What tests are used to diagnose COVID-19?

Diagnostic tests can show if you currently are infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. There are two types of COVID-19 diagnostic tests:

Molecular tests, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests
Antigen tests, often referred to as rapid tests

Can the omicron variant be detected by an at-home COVID-19 rapid test?

Several widely used rapid antigen at-home COVID-19 tests are effective at detecting omicron, according to preliminary research published Feb. 28 in MedRxiv.

Does the COVID-19 booster vaccine protect against the Omicron variant?

In adult populations, the protection conferred by two vaccine doses against Covid-19 wanes (more against milder infection than against severe disease) and is lower for omicron than for delta. However, a booster dose increases protection, including protection against omicron.

Can you transmit COVID-19 while fully vaccinated?

While fully vaccinated people are less likely to transmit the coronavirus to unvaccinated people, it is still possible to spread the virus. Please get tested if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, even after you are fully vaccinated.

Has anyone gotten COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated?

Some fully vaccinated people—and those who have received boosters—have acquired SARS-CoV-2 and developed COVID-19. That is expected. One Mayo Clinic intensivist explains what to know about COVID-19 vaccination, boosters and breakthrough infections.