All of the variants, including omicron BA.5, cause similar COVID-19 symptoms:
- runny nose
- cough
- sore throat
- fever
- headaches
- muscle pain
- fatigue
Even people who have partial immunity from a previous infection or vaccination can still have a breakthrough infection. Breakthrough infections are in people who have been vaccinated or previously had COVID. However, the majority of breakthrough infections are not causing severe illness, as compared to early in the pandemic when no one had immunity.
New research finds that with each repeat COVID infection – even asymptomatic infection – your risk for complications increases. These include:
- stroke
- heart attack
- diabetes
- 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.
See which COVID-19 symptoms you should watch for
At-home COVID test instructions, accuracy, and where to find one
Learn more about omicron BA.5 and how you can protect yourself
Yes, COVID-19 vaccines continue to provide good protection against the BA.5 variant. Vaccines are especially good in preventing severe disease that may cause hospitalization.
Omicron BA.5 is more likely to cause less severe illness compared to other variants. The majority of breakthrough infections (people who have been vaccinated or previously had COVID) are not resulting in severe illness. Given how infectious BA.5 is, it’s important for everyone to take all precautions, including getting vaccinated and wearing a well-fitted face mask (N95 or KN95, if possible).
New research finds that with each repeat COVID infection – even asymptomatic infection – your risk for complications increases. This includes an increased risk for:
- stroke
- heart attack
- diabetes
- 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.
Most people who test positive with any variant of COVID-19 typically experience some symptoms for a couple weeks. People who havelong COVID-19 symptomscan experience health problems for four or more weeks after first being infected,according to the CDC.
Yes. It’s important to know if you're infected with COVID-19 for three reasons:
- If your illness gets worse, you’ll want to know so you can take advantage of COVID-19 treatments.
- You need to know whether to isolate so you can reduce your chances of infecting others, especially those who are more vulnerable to severe COVID-19.
- You will want to notify anyone you were recently in contact with so they can monitor their symptoms and get tested if needed.
Although it can vary, people are generally contagious between 1-3 days before omicron symptoms show.
