What to watch as the new year begins – NBC Chicago

With holiday gatherings and New Year’s celebrations in the rearview mirror, many Americans are contracting respiratory viruses and may be wondering what their symptoms mean.

After its initial appearance in December 2019 and the subsequent global outbreak in early 2020, COVID-19 remains a major concern among health experts, with approximately 900 people, mostly older adults, dying from the virus each week in the United States. -United over the past year. according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

The five years of the pandemic have seen numerous mutations and variants, with the delta and omicron variants causing new waves of infection in late 2021 and early 2022.

According to the CDC, the current dominant variant is called XEC, an omicron subvariant that accounted for 45% of the variants circulating nationally during the two-week period ending December 21.

Symptoms associated with the XEC variant remain largely similar to previous omicron variants, health experts said, with the following symptoms commonly reported in relation to COVID-19:

• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Muscle pain
• Impaired sense of smell
• Congestion
• Fever or chills
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Previous reports had focused on potential gastrointestinal symptoms linked to the virus.

Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, a CDC scientific consultant and epidemiologist, said that “gastrointestinal problems, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea,” have already been identified as possible symptoms of COVID-19.

“We do not have specific data on the incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms with current strains of the virus, but COVID-19 symptoms can certainly differ depending on the variant and the individual,” Jetelina told NBC Chicago in July.

Last fall, a Chicago-area doctor said she noticed changes in the most common symptoms her patients reported as the JN.1 variant became dominant.

Dr. Chantel Tinfang, a family physician at Cook County’s Provident Hospital Sengstacke Health Center, noted at the time that many of the cases she saw reported fewer fevers, body aches and chills, and had more sore throats and fatigue. and cough.

“We still see some patients with loss of appetite, loss of taste or smell. So it 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 about cough and shortness of breath We still see it.

How long does COVID last?

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 may 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 or even years.

However, previous calendar guidelines focused on five to ten days.

How to tell the difference between COVID and other respiratory viruses?

Experts say the answer is to test.

“The thing is, a lot of these other pathogens have the same initial symptoms, so it’s very difficult to tell whether someone might have COVID or the flu based on symptoms alone,” Rodgers said. “So you kind of have to check with your health care provider to see what they would recommend. But obviously the tests are going to give you the definitive answer so you know whether or not your family has COVID or the flu , which all starts with the same fever, the same sore throat, runny nose and a test is really essential in these kinds of situations.

When should you test?

Experts still say home tests can be done multiple times for people with symptoms.

According to Rodgers, this is because home tests are designed to detect infection when it is at its peak.

“At-home tests like Abbott’s Binaxnow are actually meant to detect infections when people are most contagious, so they have the highest levels of virus,” she said. “So that means if you still feel sick after a negative test, it would make sense to see your health care provider and possibly do another round of testing.”

What to do if your test is positive?

In March, the CDC updated its COVID guidance to reflect guidance for other respiratory infections. Those who have contracted COVID-19 no longer need to stay away from others for five days, the CDC said, reversing the five-day isolation recommendation.

People can return to work or regular activities if their symptoms are mild and improving and it has been a day since they had a fever, but the CDC still recommends that people with symptoms stay home. the house.

“Recommendations suggest resuming normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms improve overall and if fever was present, it has resolved without the use of fever-reducing medication,” the guide says .

Once activities resume, the CDC still recommends “additional prevention strategies” for five additional days, including wearing a mask and maintaining your distance from others.

The agency stresses that people should always try to prevent infections in the first place, by getting vaccinated, washing their hands and taking steps to bring in more fresh outdoor air.

As part of this guidance, the CDC suggests:

• Stay up to date with vaccinations to protect people from serious illness, hospitalization and death. This includes flu, COVID-19, and RSV if eligible.
• Practice good hygiene covering coughs and sneezes, washing or disinfecting hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
• Take steps for cleaner airsuch as bringing more fresh air outdoors, purifying indoor air, or gathering outdoors.

This change comes at a time when COVID-19 is no longer the public health threat it once was. It went from the third leading cause of death in the country at the start of the pandemic to the 10th last year.

Most people have some degree of immunity to the coronavirus from previous vaccinations or infections. And many people aren’t following the five-day isolation guidelines anyway, some experts say.

Will vaccines prevent against the XEC variant?

Experts have long said the COVID virus will continue to mutate.

This fall’s vaccine recipe has been adapted for a new branch of omicron descendants. The Pfizer and Moderna shots target a subtype called KP.2 that was common earlier this year.

Although other offshoots, particularly KP.3.1.1, are now spreading, they are closely related enough that vaccines promise cross-protection. Vaccines are also expected to provide some protection against XEC.

“We hope that the latest updates to the vaccine will protect people from serious outcomes in the same way that previous versions were also able to prevent more serious outcomes from the strain that is currently circulating,” she said. “It’s a bit like the flu in the past, where the mutations that allow it to spread every season are the ones we fight with vaccines.

What do we know about long COVID?

Millions of people remain uncertain about the sometimes disabling, often invisible consequences of the pandemic known as “long COVID”.

It can take several weeks to bounce back from a bout of COVID-19, but some people develop more persistent problems. Symptoms that last at least three months, sometimes years, include fatigue, cognitive problems called “brain fog,” pain, and cardiovascular problems, among others.

Doctors don’t know why only some people get long COVID. It can occur even after a mild case and at any age, although rates have declined since the early years of the pandemic. Studies show that vaccination can reduce the risk.

It’s also unclear what causes long COVID, making it harder to find treatments. One big clue: More and more researchers are finding that remnants of the coronavirus can linger in some patients’ bodies long after their initial infection, although it can’t explain all cases.