COVID 19 – Delta Vs. Omicron

COVID+19+-+Delta+Vs.+Omicron

Abby Bindewald, Writer

We all know that the recent COVID-19 virus has mutated into different variants, the Delta and Omicron viruses, but not everyone knows the difference between the two and how to know which one you have. The difference between the two is slight but noticeable, with the main difference being how they start out.

Starting with the oldest variant, the Delta variant. The Delta variant has symptoms closest to the original strand of COVID-19. It’s symptoms are as follows: headache, runny nose, sore throat, fever, cough, loss of taste, and loss of smell. People who are vaccinated, however, seem to have lower case counts than people who are unvaccinated against the Delta Variant, with cases seeming to scarcely appear in those who are vaccinated.

Furthermore, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is seemingly much scarier than the original strand and the Delta variant. The Omicron variant when starting out feels as if it is the flu or a bad cold, then slowly and progressively gets worse. The Omicron variants’ symptoms are as follows: cough, fatigue, congestion, sore throat, and headache. Sounds really similar to the Delta variant, right? Well, in was it is, but in most ways it isn’t. This new variant of COVID-19 is much harder to detect as COVID initially because it feels almost exactly like strep throat of the flu. It starts out as a sore throat then progressively gets worse over time, but in a matter of days can turn into many other symptoms. The two most common symptoms seem to be sore throat and fatigue. Although the symptoms are “mild” the variant still raises concern because of how many people have gotten it more than once.

All three COVID-19 variants have symptoms that arise within two to fourteen days of contracting it, and all of the variants have common symptoms. Cough, fatigue, runny nose, and sore throat are all common symptoms with the virus. Even though there is hope of our “new life” letting up, we are still in a time of sickness. So, wear your mask, wash your hands, and stay safe.