If doctors know anything about the Omicron version of SARS-CoV-2, it's that this strain can frequently cause COVID-19 symptoms that don't necessarily entail shortness of breath or loss of smell and taste.
Data gathered in December and January by prominent infectious disease specialists throughout the world show that Omicron infections are becoming more common in people with upper respiratory tract symptoms. While a cold-like sore throat is more typical during an Omicron infection, physicians emphasize that all recognized COVID-19 symptoms are a possibility for persons affected by Omicron — including one specific symptom that may be first misguided during the winter season.
More healthcare providers are finding an increase in COVID-19 patients who report feeling sick and uneasy or vomiting excessively as a prominent symptom. While nausea and vomiting do not always indicate a COVID-19 infection, they may appear before other gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea, according to Tufts Medical Center physicians. And the problem is that no two COVID-19 instances are same; the timing and intensity of gastrointestinal symptoms like these may lead you to assume you have a simple case of food poisoning.
According to Shruti Gohil, M.D., an associate medical director of epidemiology and infection prevention at University of California Irvine Health, chronic nausea and vomiting are not primary symptoms for common colds or most flu cases, and should be considered secondary potential root issues when compared to food poisoning or a COVID-19 infection. When combined with the symptoms listed below, nausea should lead you to take the next steps in getting your symptoms assessed.
What are some other signs of a COVID-19 infection?
If you're unsure whether stomach problems are linked to a potential COVID-19 illness, you're not alone; studies on the role of gastrointestinal symptoms in COVID spread during the pandemic has surprised many. According to a research review published in the Journal of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infection in 2021, nausea and vomiting were more frequently related with first symptoms than other side effects. The authors of the review speculate that nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may be caused in a COVID-19 infection as a result of our body's inflammatory reaction to the viral infection.
Dr. Gohil notes that an Omicron-fueled COVID-19 infection may begin with gastrointestinal symptoms before progressing to one or more symptoms. According to government experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, below is a list of conditions to be cautious of:
- Fever and chills throughout the body
- Breathing difficulties or shortness of breath
- Headache
- Runny nose or congestion
- Throat discomfort
- Cough
- Fatigue, as well as muscular and body pains
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
"You should get tested for COVID-19 if you get any of the 11 recognized COVID symptoms," says Dr. Gohil, adding that if you suffer many symptoms at the same time, you're more likely to be infected. "However, there are various reasons of nausea and vomiting, so you should consult your doctor to see whether you require additional testing."
Is nausea and vomiting a symptom of an Omicron infection?
While not commonly connected with seasonal colds, nausea can be caused by a variety of different ailments, including food poisoning, irritable bowel syndrome, dehydration, ulcers, and even mental concerns such as worry. Dr. Gohil notes that if nausea is your main symptom, a call or visit to your primary healthcare physician may be the only option to figure out what's making you sick. "This list of potential difficulties is lengthy, but your doctor should be able to go through it pretty simply after discussing your history and, if necessary, evaluating you."
Don't dismiss sickness as anything else if you've lately been exposed to someone with proven COVID-19 infection. According to Tufts' scientists, SARS-CoV-2 can reach the digestive system directly in some situations, which means that people who have gotten infected may only have gastrointestinal symptoms. Cell surface receptors in the GI tract are 100 times "more numerous" than those in the lungs, making them very vulnerable to pathogenic SARS-CoV-2 virus particles.
Dr. Gohil suggests keeping a careful check on your nausea and trying to rule out more evident causes of recurrent vomiting. If you have these symptoms for a lengthy period of time and can't figure out why, or if they progress to other respiratory concerns, the best treatment is to have a COVID-19 test.