COVID-19 is making a late-summer comeback across much of the United States, with federal estimates suggesting the virus is increasing in nearly every state.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates COVID-19 is likely growing in 49 states. However, overall virus activity and COVID-related emergency room visits remain relatively low.
Wastewater testing shows some parts of the country are seeing more virus activity than others. Levels have been especially elevated in parts of the South, with Texas reporting very high levels and Mississippi reporting high levels.
Experts say several factors could be contributing to the late-summer increase. Hot weather can push people indoors, where the virus spreads more easily. Children returning to school and more indoor gatherings can also create opportunities for COVID to spread.
Waning immunity and the natural cycle of the virus may also be playing a role.
COVID Symptoms to Watch For
COVID can cause a wide range of symptoms, and the illness may look somewhat different from person to person.
Symptoms can appear two to 14 days after exposure. According to the CDC, common symptoms include:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Sore throat
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Loss of taste or smell
Loss of taste and smell, once considered one of the most recognizable signs of COVID, appears to be less common than it was earlier in the pandemic.
Some People Are Reporting a Severe Sore Throat
Doctors say a particularly painful sore throat has been reported by some people infected with currently circulating versions of the virus.
Dr. Thomas Russo, an infectious disease expert, said some patients describe an extremely intense sore throat, while others experience a much milder version.
For some people, COVID may now resemble an ordinary cold. They may experience congestion, a sore throat, coughing and other upper respiratory symptoms.
Others may become more sick and develop fever, chills, headaches and body aches.
A dry cough that does not produce mucus can also occur.
Stomach Problems Can Happen, Too
COVID doesn’t always affect only the nose, throat and lungs.
Some patients develop gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and diarrhea. These symptoms can occur alongside a sore throat, cough or other cold-like symptoms.
That overlap can make it difficult to determine whether someone has COVID, a cold, the flu or another respiratory illness based on symptoms alone.
Why COVID Can Feel Different for Everyone
There isn’t one set of symptoms that everyone with COVID will experience.
A person’s immune system, age, previous infections and existing immunity can all influence how sick they become. The amount of virus a person is exposed to may also play a role.
Younger, otherwise healthy people with existing immunity are more likely to experience an illness that resembles a cold or mild upper respiratory infection.
But severe COVID is still possible, even in younger people.
The risk of serious illness generally increases with age and is also higher for people with certain underlying health conditions.
A New Version of COVID Is Circulating
One of the strains circulating in the U.S. is related to XFG, sometimes called “Stratus.”
XFG was first identified in early 2025 and belongs to the broader family of Omicron descendants that have continued to evolve.
Despite new variants appearing, doctors say the basic approach to recognizing COVID hasn’t dramatically changed. Symptoms can overlap heavily with other respiratory illnesses, so testing may be needed to know whether COVID is responsible.
How to Lower the Risk of Severe COVID
Vaccination remains one of the main tools for reducing the risk of severe COVID, particularly for older adults and people at higher risk of complications.
The FDA has approved updated COVID vaccines for the 2026-27 season designed to more closely match currently circulating strains.
People who are older or have medical conditions that put them at increased risk should speak with their health care provider about vaccination and other steps they can take to protect themselves.
Although COVID no longer causes the level of severe illness and disruption seen during the earliest years of the pandemic, the virus has not disappeared.
The latest increase is another reminder that COVID continues to circulate — and that symptoms can sometimes look more like an ordinary cold or stomach bug than the illness many people remember from 2020.
New At-Home Treatment Could Help Protect People After Exposure
Xocova (ensitrelvir) is a prescription antiviral pill designed to help prevent COVID-19 after someone has been exposed to the virus per WebMD.
The drug works by blocking an enzyme that the coronavirus needs to make copies of itself. This makes it harder for the virus to multiply after it enters the body.
Xocova could be especially useful after close household exposure, where COVID can spread quickly from one person to another. It may also offer another layer of protection for older adults and others at greater risk of becoming seriously ill.
Because the medicine is taken by mouth at home, treatment can begin soon after a known exposure, potentially lowering the chance of developing COVID-19.
