Omicron symptoms to watch for if you are fully vaccinated

Researchers have uncovered data from a large omicron outbreak in Norway that gives some insight into how the omicron variant behaves among fully-vaccinated populations. Here are the top symptoms reported from that case study. (Daniel Schaefer/dpa via AP)
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The omicron variant of COVID has overtaken delta as the most dominant variant in the United States as cases continue to spike.

Due to how recent omicron is, there has not been a whole lot of firm data about the new variant of the virus.

When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its first briefing on the characteristics of the early cases, the top four symptoms were cough, fatigue, congestion and runny nose.

Since then, researchers also have uncovered data from a large outbreak in Norway that gives some insight into how the omicron variant behaves among fully vaccinated populations.

Researchers interviewed 111 out of 117 people who attended a party in Norway on Nov. 26. Of those 111 who were interviewed, 89% received two doses of an mRNA vaccine. None of the people reported getting a booster shot.

Out of those 111 interviewed, 66 had definitive cases of COVID-19 and 15 had possible cases of COVID-19.

The symptoms

Out of all the cases, only one was asymptomatic, and 91% of the people with COVID-19 experienced at least three symptoms over the course of their illness.

The most common symptoms of the omicron variant reported among this fully vaccinated group were:

  • Cough (83%)
  • Runny/stuffy nose (78%)
  • Fatigue/lethargy (74%)
  • Sore throat (72%)
  • Headache (68%)
  • Muscle pain (58%)
  • Fever (54%)
  • Sneezing (43%)

And according to the Zoe COVID symptom study, which looked at a larger pool of people infected with omicron during the week of Dec. 16, the top five symptoms reported mirrored those in the Norway study.

The symptoms were:

  • Runny nose
  • Headache
  • Fatigue (either mild or severe)
  • Sneezing
  • Sore throat

These symptoms do not differ too much from the symptoms fully vaccinated people experience if they are experiencing a case of the original coronavirus strains. Those symptoms were headache, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat and loss of smell.

Related stories about COVID-19:

How to get a COVID booster shot at CVS, Walgreens or Rite Aid

The side effects you might get from a COVID booster shot

Omicron variant: The most commonly reported symptoms so far, according to the CDC

Should I mix-and-match COVID vaccines? What to know about the newly approved boosters

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