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Infectious disease expert talks about delta variant symptoms

Diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea among new symptoms
Posted at 9:38 PM, Aug 03, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-03 22:24:39-04

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Johnny Quest is a promoter and a DJ. He said he battled COVID-19 last year.

"The symptoms that I had, luckily for me, they were pretty mild -- fever off and on for about 10 solid days, body aches, extreme tiredness," he said. "Luckily for me, it never went to my respiratory system. My doctor was very proactive."

Now he's hearing about the delta variant.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes it as contagious as chickenpox.

"It's scary because just when I thought we were getting back to more of a normal situation around the world, here comes delta out of nowhere," Quest said.

Dr. Leslie Diaz, an infectious disease expert, explained the symptoms she is seeing with patients diagnosed with the delta variant.

"I am seeing much more gastrointestinal involvement," she said. "Not that we didn't see it before with our beginning strains, but here we are with the delta and I see more GI issues of diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea -- a lot of nausea, too."

Diaz said some have described having "a wicked sore throat" and temperatures of 103 degrees. She encouraged anyone with these symptoms to get tested.

As for Quest?

"I have friends that have recently been re-infected after having COVID, so after speaking with my doctor, he said it's probably best that I get the vaccine," he said.