Are Delta Symptoms Different? – New York Times

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Two years ago, sneezing or coughing wouldn’t have been a cause for concern, but now even the mildest symptoms make us ask, “Is there Covid?” It may leave you wondering.

Early in the pandemic, we learned of the symptoms of infection, which can include loss of taste and smell, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and fatigue. What about now, more than a year later? Have the symptoms changed given that the delta variant is now available? most common form virus in the United States?

There is very little data on this question and much remains to be resolved.

unvaccinated patients They make up the vast majority of those hospitalized with Covid-19, so they may be more likely to develop serious symptoms such as difficulty breathing or persistent pain or pressure in the chest. in areas with low vaccination rates, such as Louisiana, Texas and Arkansasunvaccinated children and young adults To be sent to hospital more numerous during the pandemic than at other points. Researchers do not yet know for certain whether Delta alone is responsible for these severe symptoms or the rise in childhood infections that could result in more hospitalizations.

Delta variant almost doubly contagious as the previous variants and as contagious as chickenpox. He multiplies rapidly body and people carry large amounts of the virus in their nose and throat.

An epidemiologist and physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Andrew T. Chan and one of the principal investigators of this study. Covid Symptom Studymonitors millions of people from the UK, US and Sweden through an app that asks participants to monitor their symptoms. a preprint Using data from the study, which has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, shows that those vaccinated are well protected against Delta. Breakthrough infections, although rare, tend to produce milder symptoms of shorter duration.

At this point, almost 90 percent The adult population in the UK has received at least one dose of the vaccine. in the United States, 71 percent Most adults are partially vaccinated.

Dr. Among vaccinated adults, “the symptoms we see now are much more commonly described by the common cold,” Chan said. “We still see people presenting with a cough, but we also see things like a runny nose and sneezing are more common.” Headache and sore throat are other top complaints, he added. Fever and loss of taste and smell are reported to a lesser degree.

Dr. Chan said researchers began to see milder reported symptoms around the time the Delta variant became prevalent in England, starting in the late spring, which also coincided with the country’s mass vaccination schedule.

pediatricians in New York, where 67 percent adults have full vaccinations, they say they’ve seen many same symptoms The children they’ve seen since the start of the pandemic, and the more severe cases tend to be among unvaccinated adolescents, particularly those with underlying conditions like diabetes or obesity. NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine chief pediatrician Dr. Some toddlers or school-aged children can also get very sick from Covid, but doctors don’t always know why one child gets sicker than another, Sallie Permar said. .

He added that fever, cough, fatigue, headache and sore throat are “the classic presentation of Covid” among symptomatic children.

If your child has a possible Covid symptomsD., director of the pediatric infectious diseases division at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone. Adam Ratner said: Get yourself and your child tested for Covid, including gastrointestinal problems, and stay home until the results are negative.

“This is part of how we keep schools safe,” he added.

Experts said that adults should also be tested. Even if you’ve been vaccinated and your symptoms are mild, it’s best to get tested. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccinated people can still transmit the virus to others.

“It’s time to be humble about the fact that this is a new variant. NYU Langone Vaccine Center director and NYU Langone Health infectious diseases chief Dr. “We’re still learning,” said Mark Mulligan. “Be careful and cautious about moving forward and getting tested.”

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