Symptoms alone can not determine whether it’s Omicron, Delta, or influenza

The Department of Health (DOH) has debunked online posts stating that there are differences in symptoms caused by COVID-19 Delta and Omicron variants, and influenza.

According to the DOH, the usual COVID-19 symptoms are:

cough,
fever,
sore throat,
fatigue,
loss of taste and/or smell,
headache,
sore throat,
body pain,
rashes, and
conjunctivitis.

“These symptoms are generally similar for COVID-19 infection—whether Delta or Omicron variant, or even with regular flu,” DOH said.

“It is difficult to tell by symptoms alone what caused your infection. So, once you have symptoms, it is best to test to confirm what you have,” DOH added.

The DOH also reminded the public that antigen tests when used for symptomatic patients “is fairly accurate.” But “it is not as reliable if used for non-symptomatic, so a follow-up RT-PCR may be needed to confirm the presence or absence of infection.”

“RT-PCR test may be taken already if with symptoms. However, if (there are) no symptoms, wait until 5th day of exposure before testing to increase reliability of results,” DOH said.

The DOH again asked the public to “be mindful of the information we share.”

“Misinformation can mean life or death. Accurate, timely information saves lives,” DOH said.

The country’s COVID-19 infections have been increasing for the past few days, along with the detection of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, which total 14 thus far. With a spike in cases, Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, and Rizal have all been placed under Alert Level 3. (Bim Santos)