Runny Nose, Sneezing and Headache: Seasonal Allergies or Delta Variant? - BioSpace

As the delta variant continues to contribute to the majority of COVID-19 cases worldwide, many patients are reporting symptoms different than those reported with earlier strains. Researchers are finding that symptoms of COVID-19 are indeed evolving, both among unvaccinated people and fully vaccinated individuals who test positive for the novel coronavirus.

Latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show the highly infectious delta variant was present in nearly 99% of patients between August 8 and August 14. Regions with the highest rate of unvaccinated individuals appear to be experiencing the highest rate of these infections.

Real-world data show the signs and symptoms of this variant somewhat differ from previous strains. Additionally, the delta variant may also more seriously affect children than what was seen earlier on in the pandemic. As such, recent research shows the delta strain grows more quickly and increases to much higher levels in the respiratory tract.

While people who are vaccinated seem to be largely asymptomatic after catching the delta strain, others may have very mild symptoms that are reflective of a common cold. These symptoms include fever, cough or headache, with some people also reporting loss of smell.

In unvaccinated people, symptoms associated with the delta variant are largely similar as symptoms associated with other variants, yet more patients who contract this strain more frequently report runny nose and sneezing.

Breakthrough cases—or cases of COVID-19 in people who are fully vaccinated—are also a cause of concern. A CDC investigation of a COVID-19 outbreak in Massachusetts found that 274 fully vaccinated people who developed COVID-19 showed just as much virus in their nose as those who were unvaccinated. The fully vaccinated people reported cough, headache, myalgia, fever and sore throat as their most common symptoms.

Health authorities in the U.K. recently reported that the prevalence of symptoms such as cough, fever, fatigue and headache among people with COVID-19 has increased between June and July of this year, a time when the delta variant dominated the majority of cases in this region.

NBC News reported Tuesday that at least 248,943 breakthrough cases have been reported across 42 states and out of 166 million fully vaccinated individuals. And while a small proportion of breakthrough cases may lead to hospitalizations and deaths in vulnerable people, those who are vaccinated tend to show milder COVID-19 symptoms, if any, than unvaccinated individuals.

Symptoms among breakthrough cases seem to mirror that of a common cold or allergies and appear to be equally distributed across all three available vaccines. Officials suggest that without testing, it can be challenging for some patients, especially those who are fully vaccinated, from differentiating symptoms of seasonal allergies, colds and the delta variant.

Still, the chance of breakthrough cases is relatively small, with the CDC estimating that an average of 3.2% of hospitalizations and deaths occur among fully vaccinated individuals. But as positive cases continue to spike in the unvaccinated population, some experts are concerned that the number of breakthrough infections could be increasing, particularly in fully vaccinated individuals who have comorbidities.

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