What Are The COVID Symptoms Doctors Are Seeing Right Now?

Every summer for the past several years, including this summer, COVID cases have increased throughout the United States as people spend time in air-conditioned spaces and as summer travel peaks.

Roughly half of the states in the country currently have increasing numbers of COVID-19 infections, said Dr. Matthew Lokant, an infectious disease specialist at the West Virginia University School of Medicine.

“Most of those COVID-19 [infections] are associated with two newer variants being Nimbus and Stratus — these are the strains that are contributing to that seasonal surge that we’re currently seeing in the U.S.,” Lokant said.

Here are the main symptoms of a COVID infection this summer and what you can do to stay healthy:

“The COVID symptoms that I’m seeing in clinic aren’t any different this year than I’ve seen in previous years,” said Andrea Harmony, a family nurse practitioner in Philadelphia.

These symptoms include fatigue, fever, congestion, runny nose and cough, Harmony noted. You may also experience body aches or a headache, added Lokant.

Some people experience an upset stomach, too, said Dr. Sarah Whitley Coles, a founding member of Those Nerdy Girls, an online organization that’s dedicated to sharing accurate health and science information.

“The more dominant Nimbus strain has had more reports of very severe throat pain,” Lokant said.

“Patients have noted sharp, stabbing throat pain,” he added. Online, this is known as “razor blade throat,” Lokant said.

It certainly is true that COVID can cause a sore throat, and a pretty bad one at that, but you shouldn’t let this symptom panic you.

“It’s not more dangerous, but certainly people feel miserable, and so I’ve been encouraging folks, if you’re starting to have a sore throat, let me know because this could very well be COVID,” said Coles.

Experts previously told HuffPost that a painful sore throat has been associated with COVID infections for some time, and while this symptom won’t happen to everyone, it’s important to keep an eye out for it and do what you can to limit the pain.

This includes staying hydrated by drinking water and herbal teas, as dehydration can irritate the dry membranes in your throat, Dr. Carrie Horn, the chief medical officer and chief of the division of hospital and internal medicine at National Jewish Health in Colorado, previously told HuffPost.

According to Lokant, if you have COVID and notice certain concerning symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, chest pain or severe dehydration (which can look like dizziness and dry mouth), you should seek medical attention.

Some people need medical treatment to get better, and people throughout the country are still dying from this virus.

“If you’re in a high-risk group, you can always take a medication like Paxlovid to help reduce your risk of serious illness, hospitalization and death,” said Coles.

High-risk groups include those over 65, pregnant people and immunocompromised people.

Your doctor can help determine if a COVID antiviral medication is right for you, Coles added. “We know that a lot of people who would qualify for medications like Paxlovid are not getting them either because they don’t realize that this is something that is available to them and can be helpful, or because there is misinformation about it,” Coles noted.

Lots of misinformation claims that COVID is “just a cold,” but that isn’t true. It can lead to long COVID, hospitalization and even death,

“COVID is dangerous, and particularly dangerous for folks who have immunosuppression, other chronic medical illnesses, or people who are older, and these medications can help reduce those risks,” Coles added.

“I think with every new variant, there is this narrative that suggests that we could tell if someone has COVID based on their symptoms, and that the symptoms are significantly different or unique, but all in all, they appear to be undistinguishable from any other upper respiratory infection,” Harmony said.

In other words, congestion can happen whether it’s COVID or a cold.

“I would encourage everyone to test if you’re symptomatic,” added Coles. COVID tests still detect the latest COVID variants and can help you decipher if you’re sick with COVID or something else.

If you do have COVID (and, really, any other upper respiratory virus), you should stay home and away from other people, rest and have lots of fluids, Lokant noted. And, again, if you’re high-risk or have concerning symptoms, get medical attention.

To keep yourself from getting infected, “wear a high-quality mask, like an N95, in crowded indoor places … wash [your] hands regularly and make sure that the folks around [you] are feeling well,” Coles said, and added that if a loved one tells you they have the sniffles, consider rescheduling that get-together.

Even before all of those preventative measures, make sure you have the latest COVID shot. “Vaccination is still, by far, the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones,” said Coles.

Those who are at high risk of developing COVID can get a second dose of the current COVID vaccine to stay protected during the current summer increase in cases, Coles noted.

With cases rising, it’s important to follow all of the steps to keep yourself, your loved ones and your neighbors healthy. This is especially true because there is likely more COVID out there than what’s being reported by the CDC, experts say.

“Our data is really poor, like how much COVID is circulating in our communities, we really don’t know. We’re not doing a good job of tracking it anymore, so it’s probably way underreported, and there’s a lot more COVID going around than likely we expect,” said Coles.

“I would encourage everyone to treat it as if there is a summer surge, because we expect that there will be, or that we’re in the beginning of one, and to take the necessary precautions,” Coles added.