The omicron variant of COVID-19 has taken hold over the North Texas region, causing a sharp increase in cases and a rapid rise in demand for tests.
Health experts believe the variant, which accounts for the majority of COVID-19 cases in the country, will fuel a surge in cases and hospitalizations in the coming weeks.
But the symptoms people will experience if they become infected with the virus depend largely on their vaccination status, health experts say. Here’s what you need to know:
If you’re fully vaccinated and boosted
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages people to opt for an mRNA shot as their booster dose.
The people in the best position when it comes to the omicron variant are those who are vaccinated and boosted with some combination of mRNA vaccines — either the Johnson & Johnson shot followed by Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, or multiple Pfizer and Moderna shots.
“What we know is that two doses of J&J vaccine induce lower antibody response in general, compared to two or three doses of mRNA vaccine,” said Dr. Robert Atmar, a professor of infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “If you have a combination of those or just mRNA, you’re probably OK.”
People in that category — who are under 65 and otherwise healthy and not immunocompromised — will likely experience mild, coldlike symptoms if they test positive, he said.
“Those individuals, if they become infected, are most likely to either not develop symptoms or develop mild symptoms that last only for a day or two,” Atmar said.
Fully vaccinated and boosted people will likely experience a sore throat, nasal congestion and mild muscle aches, he said. Loss of taste and smell, shortness of breath and coughing have been less common in vaccinated people who get sick with omicron.
If you’re vaccinated but not boosted
People who have been vaccinated but have not received a booster shot are still more likely than not to have mild symptoms.
“They may be more likely to get sick because they’re more likely to get infected, but they’re still likely to be protected from some of the more severe outcomes,” Atmar said.
While the symptoms will largely be similar — sore throat, congestion and muscle aches — people may feel more ill than those who are boosted.
“It’ll be uncomfortable,” said Dr. Shane Fernando, an assistant professor of pediatrics and epidemiology expert at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. “It’ll feel like you’re having a terrible cold or flu.”
Fernando said the duration of the illness can also be longer for people who are not boosted.
If you’re unvaccinated or partially vaccinated
The people in the best position to experience only a mild form of the illness are those who are vaccinated and boosted with mRNA vaccines, health experts say.
As people move down the spectrum of protection — either partially vaccinated, vaccinated only with Johnson & Johnson or unvaccinated — the severity of symptoms will likely get worse, Fernando said.
“Those who have the two doses, they experience more symptoms,” Fernando said. “Those who have just gotten a single dose experience even more symptoms.”
And while a sore throat has been a “hallmark” of the omicron variant, people who are unvaccinated are still at risk for low oxygen levels, which leads to hospitalization, Fernando said.
“One of the biggest reasons that people are hospitalized is the lack of oxygen going into the body, they’re having difficulty breathing” Fernando said. “The unvaccinated are at a much higher risk of being hospitalized for breathing-related issues. They are and have always been the most vulnerable.”
