With a type that is as contagious as chickenpox — and in fact twice as contagious as the types before it — it’s essential to know if you’ve caught COVID. After all, you want to be taken care of ASAP – and not pass it on to someone else. Interestingly, the delta variant can present itself in both differently vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Read on to see what Delta symptoms usually look like—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these sure signs someone who has “prolonged” COVID and might not even know it .
You may have symptoms like the common cold
If you’ve been vaccinated, “the symptoms we’re seeing now are usually identified with the common cold,” says Dr. . Andrew T. Chan, told the New York Times. “We’re still seeing people presenting with coughing, but we’re also seeing a greater prevalence of things like runny nose and sneezing.”
You may have a headache or sore throat
If you’re vaccinated: “Headache and sore throat are other top complaints,” the Times says. These headaches can be like a “jackhammer,” in the words of a patient, and some last for several months, if you get post-Covid syndrome.
You may have a fever or lose your sense of taste or smell
If you are vaccinated: “Fever and loss of taste and smell have been reported to some degree,” the Times says. UC Davis Health says, “When a vaccinated person tests positive for COVID-19, most have either no symptoms or very mild symptoms, and this rarely leads to hospitalization or Death results.” “No vaccine is 100% effective. The average effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines is around 90%, with health experts expecting about 10% of those vaccinated to become infected.”
Here’s What It May Feel Like If You’re Unvaccinated
Yale Medicine reports, “Early information about the severity of delta included a study from Scotland showing that the delta variant was almost twice as likely to result in hospitalizations in non-vaccinated individuals.” but other data showed no significant difference.” Symptoms of COVID for unvaccinated people include cold-like symptoms, but traditional COVID symptoms also include:
- fever or chills
- Cough
- shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Tiredness
- muscle or body pain
- Headache
- new loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- congested or runny nose
- vomiting or nausea
- Diarrhea
UC Davis Health says: “Their physicians have noted that many younger patients, when they come down with severe illness, say they wish they had received the COVID-19 vaccine. Many patients told their physicians , ‘Why did I. Don’t get vaccinated?’ or ‘Why didn’t I listen?'”
What to do if you think you have delta?
“It’s time to be humble about the fact that this is a new version. We’re still learning,” said NYU director Dr. Mark Mulligan. chief of infectious diseases at the Langone Vaccine Center and NYU. Langone Health told the Times. “Be careful and exercise caution in terms of going ahead and getting the test.” And to protect yourself and the lives of others, don’t visit any of these.