COVID cases are on the rise once again, with President Joe Biden among those recently testing positive for the virus, but what symptoms are associated with the newest variants and what should you do if you test positive?
Health officials have reported recent upticks in emergency room visits and hospitalizations from COVID-19. There has also been a pronounced increase in positive test results in much of the country, including Illinois. Still, health experts say the numbers aren't as high as recent surges.
"The number of cases remains lower than the number counted during the most recent fall peak or during the small peak we saw last summer in Chicago," Dr. Mary Hayden, director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Rush University System for Health, told NBC Chicago.
A new series of COVID variants, nicknamed the "FLiRT" variants, are dominating across the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The variants, identified as KP.1.1, KP.3 and KP.2, collectively make up more than 55% of COVID cases in the U.S., per the CDC's most recent variant tracking data. KP.3, in particular, made up the most cases of any variant at 24.5% of cases, according to the latest forecasting data.
Similarly, emergency room visits measured through June 29 showed COVID-related visits were up 18% from the previous week. Illinois was among states seeing a "substantial change" in metrics week-over-week, the data showed. The state's COVID-related emergency room visits were up 29.7% from the previous week, though the total percent of emergency room visits deemed to be COVID visits still remained "minimal," at 0.8%.
So what can you expect with the latest strains?
What are COVID FLiRT variants?
The variants are subvariants of JN.1, which rose to dominance in December 2023 and was labeled a "variant of concern," though the "FLiRT" variants have two changes in the spike protein compared to JN.1.
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"The two changes in spike have been observed in earlier lineages, including XBB.1.5 lineages, which were dominant throughout 2023 and the basis for the 2023–2024 vaccine formulation," the CDC reported.
Health officials said that while there are no indicators the new strains cause more severe illness than other strains, the "CDC will continue to monitor community transmission of the virus and how vaccines perform against this strain."
Megan L. Ranney, dean of the Yale School of Public Health, told WebMD the spike protein changes are concerning.
Are KP.3 and other FLiRT variants more contagious?
The KP.3 variant quickly rose to dominance, overtaking KP.2 as the most prevalent strain in the U.S. in a matter of weeks, the CDC reported.
“It’s still early days, but the initial impression is that this variant is rather transmissible,” Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told TODAY.com.
Some lab studies suggest the FLiRT variants may be mutated enough that previous vaccination or immunity from prior infection likely won't provide total protection, Schaffner said.
"We'll have to see how true that is, but it appears, over time to be becoming a more prominent variant," he told TODAY.
What are the symptoms?
According to Hayden, common symptoms continue to be similar to those associated with a number of viral respiratory infections.
"Common symptoms continue to be fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, loss of the sense of smell, nausea, diarrhea and bloating," she said. "These symptoms can also occur with other viral respiratory infections such as the common cold. Severe symptoms that warrant medical attention include shortness of breath, but these symptoms are uncommon."
Dr. Lakshmi Halasyamani, the Chief Clinical Officer at Endeavor Health, said despite the spread of the newest variant, the main symptoms associated with COVID remain unchanged
The most common symptoms Halasyamani reported seeing are largely respiratory-related.
If you do suspect you've contracted COVID, here are some symptoms you might experience, according to the CDC:
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Altered sense of smell
- Congestion
- Fever or chills
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Last year, a Chicago-area doctor said she's noticed shifts in the most common symptoms her patients reported as the JN.1 variant rose to dominance.
Dr. Chantel Tinfang, a family medicine physician with Sengstacke Health Center at Provident Hospital of Cook County, noted at the time that many of the cases she saw reported less of the fever, body aches and chills, and presented more with sore throat, fatigue and coughing.
"We still see some patients experiencing decreased appetite, a loss of taste or smell. So it kind of depends," she said. "One patient was just very, very tired. Like she couldn't really do much. And that's when you know ... it's different. It's not just coughing and shortness of breath. We still see that though."
She suggested consulting with your doctor if your symptoms don't begin to improve outside of the recommended isolation period.
As for timing, symptoms can last for several days, but in some cases, even longer.
"Some people who have been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 can experience long-term effects from their infection, known as Long COVID or Post-COVID Conditions (PCC)," according to the CDC.
Such symptoms can last for weeks and possibly even years.
Can you still get free COVID tests?
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the federal ICATT program offers no-cost COVID-19 testing for uninsured people: here is a locator that folks can use to find places near them.
Dr. Mary Hayden, director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Rush University System for Health, also noted that free options remain available for those who are uninsured through local health departments and community health clinics.
What are the current COVID guidelines?
In March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its COVID guidelines to mirror guidance for other respiratory infections. Those who contracted COVID-19 no longer need to stay away from others for five days, the CDC said, effectively nixing the five-day isolation recommendation.
People can return to work or regular activities if their symptoms are mild and improving and it's been a day since they've had a fever, but the CDC still recommends those with symptoms stay home.
"The recommendations suggest returning to normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms are improving overall, and if a fever was present, it has been gone without use of a fever-reducing medication," the guidance states.
Once activities are resumed, the CDC still recommends "additional prevention strategies" for an additional five days, including wearing a mask and keeping distance from others.
The agency is emphasizing that people should still try to prevent infections in the first place, by getting vaccinated, washing their hands, and taking steps to bring in more outdoor fresh air.
As part of the guidance, the CDC suggests:
- Staying up to date with vaccination to protect people against serious illness, hospitalization, and death. This includes flu, COVID-19, and RSV if eligible.
- Practicing good hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes, washing or sanitizing hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
- Taking steps for cleaner air, such as bringing in more fresh outside air, purifying indoor air, or gathering outdoors.
