What is the incubation period for the Omicron variant?
Data from December 2021 suggests that Omicron’s average incubation period is around two to four days, which would mean that symptoms may develop faster after exposure compared to other variants. 2 “BA.2 is a sub-variant of Omicron, which means it is likely that it has a shorter incubation period as well,” Oller said.
How long does it take for Omicron to develop?
“Some data suggest the incubation period for Omicron may be closer to three days.” Data from December 2021 suggests that Omicron’s average incubation period is around two to four days, which would mean that symptoms may develop faster after exposure compared to other variants. 2
When will you turn positive on the Omicron variant?
"A lot of people are turning positive by day three,” Karger says, referring to omicron. “There’s basically an opportunity here to catch people earlier than you would with the other variants.”
Is the latest variant of Omicron speeding up the timeline?
Even now, as the peak appears to have passed, there’s still much to learn about the latest variant. Early science does seem to indicate omicron’s timeline is sped up from earlier variants.
Omicron: A spike in COVID-19 cases and potentially different symptoms
First, some background. Omicron (or B.1.1.529) is a new coronavirus variant that was first identified in Botswana and South Africa in November—although later reports showed earlier cases in the Netherlands. The first case in the U.S. was reported on Dec. 1 in California. More cases have followed in at least 15 other states.
Do current vaccines protect against Omicron?
There is a third—and likely most important—question that has to do with how protective the existing vaccines will be against the new variant, says Dr. Murray.
What are scientists doing to prepare for Omicron?
The good news is that experts are in a better position to prepare for Omicron than they were a year ago, when Alpha, the first coronavirus variant to be identified, surfaced in Great Britain. “At that time, we didn’t have a very robust genomic surveillance system,” Grubaugh says. “Now, we have things in place.”
What you can do to protect yourself from Omicron
One thing people should do is stay calm, Grubaugh says, adding that the behind-the-scenes work to prepare for an Omicron worst-case scenario is necessary even if the variant turns out to be less of a threat than anyone anticipates. “The intent behind these preparations is not to scare people; it’s to do what we need to do to be prepared,” he says.
