We’re 4 years into the pandemic, and by this level, most Individuals have had Covid at the least as soon as. However when the virus comes for us (once more), it may well nonetheless really feel simply as alarming as your first bout.
Right here’s a information to what Covid seems to be like now and methods to deal with it.
Symptoms
The most typical Covid signs haven’t modified a lot because the begin of the pandemic, and so they stay constant for the newest dominant variant, JN.1, mentioned Dr. Soniya Gandhi, the affiliate chief medical officer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Heart in Los Angeles. They embrace fatigue, sore throat, congestion, runny nostril, headache, physique aches and cough.
“All or any of these in isolation can nonetheless be Covid,” Dr. Gandhi mentioned.
Some folks could develop conjunctivitis, often known as pink eye, or expertise gastrointestinal points, like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, however these signs are rarer. Anecdotally, consultants mentioned, probably the most notable signs early within the pandemic — the lack of style and scent — additionally seems to be much less widespread nowadays.
“The greatest change is that individuals are having milder signs general,” mentioned Dr. Amanda Casto, an performing assistant professor of allergy and infectious illnesses on the College of Washington. That’s as a result of nearly everybody has some pre-existing immunity from vaccines, a previous an infection or each.
Whereas Covid is gentle for most individuals, it may be harmful and even deadly for some. Information from the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention indicated that, as of mid-February, greater than 21,000 people were hospitalized with Covid, and there had been roughly 10,000 Covid-related deaths in 2024.
Extreme sickness is so much much less prevalent now than in the course of the first few years of the pandemic, “however we’re nonetheless seeing it,” mentioned Dr. Stuart Ray, a professor within the division of infectious illnesses at Johns Hopkins Drugs in Baltimore. The people who find themselves getting sickest are usually these with compromised immune methods and underlying well being circumstances, similar to coronary heart illness, diabetes or lung issues. Adults over age 65 are additionally at increased threat for extreme infections.
