People’s bodies respond differently to the COVID-19 virus. Many experience mild symptoms and recover without special treatment, while others end up requiring emergency care. Although the chance of recovery is high, you should still visit any Covid testing center Philadelphia, PA near you. That is because there are different variations of the virus. In case you get the lethal kind, you can receive prompt medical care.
What are the variants of this disease, you may ask? Without further ado, here are five of them below.
Omicron
Although this variant is the most contagious, it causes less severe illness and death in general. Its symptoms appear three days after infection and include a runny nose, fatigue, sore throat, and muscle ache. If you have recovered from COVID-19, you are not safe yet, since this variant can cause reinfection.
Due to how quickly it spreads, you are better off isolating yourself from people. Ensure you do that after your doctor confirms you suffer from this variant. If you have to go out, you should wear a mask to protect others.
Delta
This variant emerged in India in 2021. Vaccinated people who get the Delta virus are typically asymptomatic or display less severe symptoms. Therefore, if it affects the unvaccinated, they are likely to get hospitalized for a long time. Other people at risk of contracting the variant include people under 50 years.
The symptoms of Delta are a bit different from the original COVID-19 strain. You will not experience coughs and loss of smell, as is usually the case with the virus. Instead, you should watch out for fever, runny nose, and sore throat.
Alpha
This is yet another variant to take seriously. When it was first discovered in the United Kingdom in November 2020, it began to spread rapidly by December. Its high rate of infection was due to the Alpha variant having many mutations in its spike protein. People with this strain usually experience appetite loss, muscle aches, chills, and headaches.
Since this variant is one of the latest ones, certain vaccines such as AstraZeneca will be ineffective against it. Therefore, it would be best to consider the Pfizer and Moderna jabs.
Beta
When the Beta variant broke out in South Africa in 2020, there was an increase in hospitalizations and deaths. Just like the previous strain, some vaccinations are ineffective against it. That explains why the country had to stop rolling out the AstraZeneca vaccine for a while. People who want protection from this variant should consider two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Soon, the variant reached the United Kingdom. The country had no choice but to enforce foreign travel restrictions and surge testing.
Gamma
This variant has the same mutations as Alpha and Beta. As a result, the strain easily attaches itself to human cells. Nonetheless, it is not as infectious as the two strains.
This strain was popular in Brazil. Scientists discovered that you could become re-infected despite recovering from the original COVID-19 infection.
When the COVID-19 pandemic first occurred, medical workers were still trying to understand it. Fortunately, they have uncovered its nature and manufactured the appropriate vaccines. When you visit a doctor, they will recommend the best jab based on the variant that has affected you. Remember, you should see one as soon as you discover certain symptoms.
After your visit from the doctor, you should also be mindful of those around you. You can avoid spreading the virus to others by not sharing personal household items and by isolation.
