When am I contagious if infected with omicron?

By MATTHEW PERRONE
AP Health Writer

It’s not yet clear when people infected with omicron become contagious but early data suggests it might be sooner than with earlier variants. In general, people with the coronavirus are most infectious in the few days before and after symptoms develop. But some researchers say that window might come earlier with omicron. That’s because omicron appears to cause symptoms faster than earlier variants. Some experts say that could mean people with omicron become contagious within a day after infection. But researchers note it’s too soon to know whether omicron’s faster onset translates into earlier contagiousness.