Dr. Stephanie Silvera Discusses “Stealth Omicron” with NJ.com
Posted in: College News and Events, Master of Public Health News, Public Health
Dr. Stephanie Silvera, Professor in the Public Health Department, discussed “stealth omicron” with NJ.com. Experts have repeatedly said that BA.2 – a genetically distinct branch of the omicron variant (BA.1) – will eventually become the dominant strain in New Jersey and the United States.
“One of the early symptoms of the original strain of COVID, which was not recognized at the time were these gastrointestinal issues,” Dr. Silvera said. “And then they seem to go away with delta and with the BA.1 omicron. But with BA.2, those symptoms do seem to be back. So when people are trying to determine, ‘Is this a cold, or is this COVID?’ — it’s important to know what the common symptoms are. So I think that’s something that we need to be aware of.”