How long can a covid test result be positive and when can you be contagious?

For more than two years, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought the world to a halt as the virus spreads across the globe.

While locks and levels may now seem like a distant memory, the virus is still with us.

Cases are starting to rise again, with warnings that Covid will again put pressure on the NHS this winter.

The latest big spike in the pandemic, while restrictions were still in place, came courtesy of Omicron. The variant quickly spread around the world after it was discovered in South Africa last November, and has since spawned a number of sub-variants.

Omicron proved less severe but more transmissible than previous variants of Alpha and Delta, as the total number of daily cases in England rose to an epidemic peak of 218,724 on January 4, before gradually easing, barring a resurgence inspired by the first variant. , BA 2, Mar.

Since then, only those over the age of 75 have received a second boost, which means that immunity may start to wane leading to more widespread introduction of the booster.

Moderna’s approval of Omicron’s new vaccine is a welcome development for the UK in this regard, and the shot could end up playing an important role in any further vaccine campaigns to come.

Different strains, different effect

What public health officials had to learn by the time this variant first arrived last winter was how it differed from the original Covid strain.

While the World Health Organization has estimated that symptoms take two days to two weeks to materialize in cases of people infected with the first strain of coronavirus, Omicron has been shown to incubate faster, roughly three to five days.

“Recent analysis by the UK Health Security Agency suggests that the interval between infection and infection may be shorter for the Omicron variant than for the Delta variant,” then UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid told the House of Commons on December 6, 2021.

This explains why the strain was able to spread so quickly and successfully, as the short incubation period gave patients a shorter period between being suspected of having the virus and experiencing an outbreak, making a positive test result less likely. Lateral flow test. They will be recorded in time to alert others, usher in isolation and prevent transmission.

A shorter incubation period “makes the virus more difficult to control,” Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, says. observed in Atlantic Ocean in the same month.

Another characteristic of Omicron that has made it more difficult to detect than previous strains is that its symptoms differ slightly from the three main indicators it was adapted to monitor in 2020: cough, fever, and loss of taste or smell.

Symptoms to watch out for

On the other hand, early warning signs of the new variant included itchy throat, lower back pain, runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle pain, fatigue, sneezing, and night sweats.

Omicron cases analyzed in Great Britain found that patients generally recovered within five days to a week on average, although some symptoms such as coughing and fatigue were likely to last longer.

Shortness of breath, which some patients experience, often persists for up to 13 days after other symptoms have disappeared.

COVID patients are usually considered contagious to others about two days before and for 10 days after their first symptoms.

If you think you have symptoms related to the Coronavirus, please contact us Current NHS advice It is to take a collateral flow test and isolate yourself at home for five days if you test positive to prevent transmission to others (you should stay away from anyone who may be at particular risk due to age or a pre-existing condition for 10 days).

If you must go out in public, it is recommended to wear a face mask, avoid crowded indoor spaces, and wash your hands for at least 20 seconds.

If you are concerned about your symptoms or think they are getting worse, a visit is recommended 111.nhs.ukCall 111 or contact your local doctor’s office.