FACT FINDERS: If you have mild symptoms, should you get a COVID test?

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Is it a cold or COVID? With some early data suggesting omicron may cause milder symptoms, how do you know if you should get tested for COVID?

Experts say it is still too early to understand just how severe omicron really is, but many are reporting fairly mild symptoms.

Here are the top five symptoms according to the one new COVID study: runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and sore throat. So, if you are simply tired, should you get tested? Dr. Sean Elliott with Tucson Medical Center says you will notice some other things as well.

”Yeah, fatigue is one of the symptoms but it’s rarely just fatigue,” said Dr. Elliott. “If they’re symptomatic they will have the congestion, the, not to alienate all the guys out there, but the man cold symptoms. So, it’ll be congestion, it’ll be runny nose, it’ll be fatigue, maybe decreased appetite.”

If you are experiencing some of these symptoms but it really does not seem bad, Dr. Joshua LaBaer at Arizona State University says it is best to get tested. He says omicron spreads easily even if you are just a little under the weather, so it is important to know if you have it.

”I would have a very low threshold to get tested. I mean, there’s testing all around. A lot of it is free. I know that the tests ASU performs in saliva testing are all free and I would say if you’re experiencing any symptoms, just go get tested,” said Dr. LaBaer.

You can also get tests at pharmacies and the Pima County Health Department has free testing centers as well. For dates, times, and locations of those testing centers click here.

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