In the midst of Christmas travel, the rapid spread of omicron has many Americans second-guessing their understanding of Covid-19.

“This is hitting us at a very inopportune time,” says Dr. Katherine Poehling, an infectious disease specialist and vaccinologist at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in North Carolina.

While much about omicron remains unknown, experts are beginning to have a better understanding of the variant and how it affects people who are vaccinated, unvaccinated, or have had a previous Covid infection. People exposed to omicron, for example, appear to get sick sooner and may have symptoms that differ from those of other forms.

What are the main symptoms of omicron?

Early research suggests that omicron causes minor illness in most people, at least in those who have had their Covid immunizations. Poehling, who is also a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine decisions, stated that omicron appears to cause the following symptoms:

• Cough
• Fatigue or tiredness
•  Congestion and runny nose

Unlike in previous variants, the loss of taste and smell seems to be uncommon, she said.

But Poehling and other experts say those symptoms are based on early reports of omicron cases, not scientific studies.

At the same time, Experts from the UK have identified five main symptoms, which are reported by the majority of patients with the new strain: headache, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat and fatigue. Some people have also reported coughing, loss of appetite, and brain fog.

What is omicron’s incubation period?

Data from the early studies suggest that the time it takes for someone to get sick after being exposed to omicron may be shorter than for other strains. This could be down to as little as three days or less, according to the data.

While additional research is required, it makes scientific sense that a highly contagious virus, such as the omicron type, would have a shorter incubation period.

After all, the virus’s purpose is to infect as many people as possible as rapidly as possible.

“That’s why the spread is occurring at a much faster pace,” adds Dr. Anita Gupta, an anesthesiologist and critical care physician at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

She emphasized that the incubation period could be shorter or longer based on a number of factors such as age, underlying health conditions, and vaccination status.

“There is no hard and fast rule here.”

Given the possibility of a shortened incubation period, Vanderbilt’s Schaffner encouraged anyone who has contact with an infected individual to get tested about 72 hours after the exposure.

“If you’ve been exposed and now you’re asking yourself, ‘When should I get tested?’ I think you would best wait at least three days to see if you’ve turned positive,” he said.

For the millions of people who have no known Covid exposure but are gathering with friends and family over the holidays, Schaffner advises getting a quick test on the day of the gathering.

In fact, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, said the same thing.

“By all means, go the extra step, go the extra mile to get tested” to alleviate any concerns about gatherings, he said on NBC’s “TODAY” show Tuesday.

“But if you don’t have the availability of the test and you are fully vaccinated and boosted, you should feel comfortable having a holiday meal or gathering with family members who are also vaccinated and boosted,” Fauci said.

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