COVID-19 has rapidly evolved over the last few years, creating a slew of different variants. If you happen to get sick, it’s understandable to wonder about the current COVID symptoms in 2024—and if you might have the virus. After all, today’s COVID-19 is very different from what it was when the pandemic first began.
Meet the experts: Thomas Russo, M.D., is a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York; Amesh Adalja, M.D., is an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; William Schaffner, M.D., is a professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
The most common circulating COVID-19 variants have changed a lot, even over the past few months. Currently, the “FLiRT” variants and their offshoots make up most of the cases of the virus in the U.S. That includes KP.3.1.1, KP.3, and LB.1, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC).
So, what is it like to get a COVID-19 infection right now and what are the major symptoms to have on your radar? Infectious disease doctors break it down.
Is there a COVID surge right now?
Currently, cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. seem to be dropping slightly from the summer wave, per CDC data. However, there usually is a lull of only about a few weeks before they start to pick up again as we head into cooler weather, says Thomas Russo, M.D., a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York.
Unfortunately, the virus is still circulating fairly heavily, making it important to at least be aware that you could get sick.
What are the FLiRT variants?
The “FLiRT” variants make up the majority of COVID-19 cases swirling around the U.S. right now, per CDC data. These strains are descendants of JN.1.11.1, a spinoff of JN.1, which was the most common variant in the U.S. until recently, Dr. Russo says. (JN.1 descended from BA.2.86 and is a variant of Omicron.)
Even the FLiRT variants have developed offshoots, but the most common variants making people sick in America right now—KP.3.1.1 and KP.3—are FLiRT variants, Dr. Russo says. LB.1, which is the third-most common circulating variant, is similar to the FLiRT variants, but has a few extra mutations in the spike protein, which is what the virus uses to latch onto your cells and make you sick.
What are COVID symptoms in 2024?
It’s important to point this out: The CDC hasn’t updated its list of COVID-19 symptoms in a while. Those symptoms include:
“COVID-19’s symptoms are generally of the same spectrum that they have always been, with the exception of less frequently reported loss of taste and smell,” says Amesh Adalja, M.D., an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. However, because many people have been exposed to the virus or have been vaccinated against it, most will have more mild illness than they would have at the start of the pandemic, Dr. Russo says.
While many people describe COVID-19 as causing “cold-like” symptoms right now, Dr. Russo says that’s not entirely accurate. “It’s still usually worse than a ‘cold’ which usually doesn’t have systemic symptoms,” he says, noting that COVID-19 tends to cause a fever for a day or two in an otherwise healthy person.
Having a headache and fatigue are also more common these days, but gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea or vomiting happen less frequently, Dr. Russo says. (That said, some people may still experience this.)
It’s important to point out that some people are still getting seriously ill with COVID-19 and dying from the virus. Those usually include at-risk patients, including those who are very young or very old, people who are immunocompromised, pregnant people, and those with underlying lung conditions, Dr. Russo says. “Those people can develop shortness of breath and chest pain, in addition to the other symptoms,” he says.
The CDC says to seek emergency medical help and call 911 if you experience the following symptoms:
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Trouble breathing
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Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
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New confusion
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Inability to wake or stay awake
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Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, pips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone
Do you need the updated COVID vaccine?
The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get the updated COVID-19 vaccine. That includes people who have been vaccinated in the past, as well as those who have had COVID-19. Dr. Russo says this current vaccine is more closely matched to the currently circulating variants.
What are the latest COVID guidelines in 2024?
COVID guidelines recently changed. If you develop symptoms of the virus, doctors say it’s important to test yourself—especially if you’re at high risk for developing severe disease from COVID-19. “There is no way to tell whether someone has COVID-19 or any other respiratory viral infections except by testing,” Dr. Adalja says.
If you test positive for COVID-19, contact your doctor. “We have medicines that can help prevent milder illness from getting worse,” William Schaffner, M.D., a professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine says. (If you test negative, but feel lousy, he also recommends contacting your doctor—they can test you for the flu, which also has medicine to treat it.)
If you’re positive for COVID-19, the CDC says that you can go back to your normal activities when you’ve been fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medication, and feeling better for at least 24 hours. When you go back to your normal activities, the CDC recommends that you “take added precaution” for the next five days, like using masks (like KN95 or N95 masks), practicing physical distancing, and avoiding being indoors with others.
This article is accurate as of press time. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly evolves and the scientific community’s understanding of the coronavirus develops, some of the information may have changed since it was last updated. While we aim to keep all of our stories up to date, please visit online resources provided by the CDC, WHO, and your local public health department to stay informed on the latest news. Always talk to your doctor for professional medical advice.
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