Across at least 16 state and major city health departments, reports of respiratory illnesses have surged to “high” or “very high” levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This increase is driven by the convergence of COVID-19 and influenza trends, with the emergence of a fast-growing new COVID variant known as JN.1. However, health officials have not yet identified new or unusual symptoms associated with this virus.
Assessing subtle changes in symptoms caused by different COVID-19 variants has proven challenging due to the wide variety of antibodies people have, acquired through vaccinations, prior infections by different variants, or both. The CDC emphasized that the severity and type of symptoms usually depend more on a person’s immunity and overall health than on the specific variant causing the infection.
Recent survey data from the United Kingdom’s health authorities, where both COVID-19 and influenza trends are on the rise, reveals common symptoms reported during this winter’s surge in respiratory infections. Among all surveyed residents, the following symptoms have been reported:
- Runny Nose (31.1%)
- Cough (22.9%)
- Headache (20.1%)
- Weakness or tiredness (19.6%)
- Muscle ache (15.8%)
- Sore throat (13.2%)
- Trouble sleeping (10.8%)
- Worry or anxiety (10.5%)
Differentiating these symptoms based on whether individuals test positive for COVID-19 or other infections is still uncertain, pending further analysis as the sample size grows.
Previous research conducted in the UK during the winter months revealed similar symptoms for COVID-19 and other common respiratory illnesses. Cough, sore throat, sneezing, fatigue, and headache were commonly reported symptoms for all three infections, making it challenging to distinguish between them based solely on symptoms.
Research conducted by the CDC in 2022 found that commonly reported symptoms among household contacts infected by the BA.5 variant included:
- Any symptom (77%)
- Cough (63%)
- Fever (48%)
- Shortness of breath (22%)
- Change of taste or smell (20%)
These findings were not significantly different from the symptoms reported before the emergence of the Delta variant in late 2020. Notably, reports of changes in taste or smell, once common during the early stages of the pandemic, have declined.
Data also suggests that rates of long COVID, characterized by symptoms persisting or emerging at least four weeks after recovery from COVID-19, may have decreased. However, approximately 1 in 10 adults with previous COVID-19 were still experiencing long COVID at the end of the study period, according to a CDC study in August. Another study from May identified 12 common symptoms associated with long COVID, including fatigue, brain fog, and loss of taste or smell.
For those taking antigen tests, the FDA recommends swabbing the nose again 48 hours after an initial negative result, as studies have shown reduced false-negative rates with repeated testing. This recommendation applies specifically to antigen tests, which are generally less sensitive to detecting infections compared to molecular tests like the Lucira kit from Pfizer.
While the FDA has not authorized self-collection of throat swabs for home tests, there is growing interest in exploring this approach to enhance testing accuracy. Combining self-collected nose and throat swabs has shown promise in increasing testing sensitivity.
The FDA is open to reviewing tests with novel sample types, but it emphasizes the importance of evaluating safety and effectiveness to avoid potential harm to patients.
As the understanding of COVID-19 symptoms evolves, ongoing research and data analysis will continue to provide valuable insights into the virus and its variants.
