The symptoms of omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, which now account for more than half of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., generally are the same as those from earlier versions of omicron, The New York Times reported July 6.
Those infected with the newly dominant subvariants may develop a cough, runny nose, sore throat, fatigue, headaches and muscle pains but are less likely to experience shortness of breath or lose their senses of taste and smell.
Joseph Khabbaza, MD, a pulmonary and critical care physician at Cleveland Clinic, told the Times patients tend to develop upper respiratory symptoms "from the vocal cords to the tip of the nose," while adding he has seen more patients with painful sinus congestion and severe sore throats as the subvariants have gained traction across the nation.