As the United States gears up for a likely winter surge of COVID-19, you may be wondering about the latest guidance on what to do if you get sick. What symptoms can you expect? Do you need to isolate or wear a mask? Should you take Paxlovid? What about getting vaccinated? Read on for the latest expert advice.
What COVID Symptoms Can You Expect Now?
For many people, COVID-19 is now producing fewer and less severe symptoms than during the height of the pandemic, says George Rutherford MD, a professor emeritus of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California in San Francisco.
“However, if you’re elderly, have underlying medical conditions, or are unvaccinated, all bets are off, and you can have just as severe disease as earlier on in the pandemic,” Dr. Rutherford says.
COVID symptoms can vary from one person to the next, says Emily Hyle, MD, an infectious disease physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
“A wide range of symptoms can occur when people have COVID-19: mild respiratory symptoms [like runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing, and sneezing], nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and flu-like symptoms, as well as more severe symptoms including shortness of breath,” Dr. Hyle says.
“Overall, people tend to have more mild symptoms if they have previously been infected, although this can vary; vaccination is the safest and most effective way to protect against more severe symptoms,” she adds.
Should You Isolate or Wear a Mask if You Get COVID?
In a word: yes. “If you have COVID-19, it is recommended that you help prevent the spread of COVID-19 to others, especially people who are at increased risk of severe illness such as older people, people with medical problems, and people with immunosuppression,” Hyle says.
After that, people can return to normal activities while still taking some precautions for five additional days to reduce the spread of illness, the CDC advises. “These types of precautions can include masking indoors, improving ventilation by opening windows, and testing before interacting with people at high risk for serious illness,” Hyle says.
Should You Take Paxlovid?
“Paxlovid remains effective as an antiviral for people who become infected with COVID-19 and are at increased risk for severe illness,” Hyle says. “It does have some drug-drug interactions, so it’s important to talk with a clinician about the individual risks and benefits.”
How Long Can You Expect to Feel Sick?
People who get COVID-19 infections right now typically have symptoms for four or five days, Rutherford says.
But this, too, can vary, Hyle notes. The best way to shorten the duration and severity of symptoms is to seek treatment promptly, Hyle adds.
“If you are at increased risk for severe illness with COVID-19, then it’s recommended to call your doctor as soon as you develop any symptoms or test positive, since Paxlovid might be recommended and is most effective when taken soon after symptom onset,” Hyle says. “Shortness of breath or chest pain should prompt emergency care in anyone.”
What Are the Best Home Remedies for COVID?
A lot of the same things you would do at home to manage cold and flu symptoms can also work for COVID-19 symptoms if you get sick with a relatively mild case.
If you’re isolating at home with COVID-19, Mayo Clinic also offers the following tips to promote physical and mental health:
- Eat healthy foods.
- Get the rest you need.
- Try relaxation exercises.
- Keep up with hobbies you enjoy.
- Connect with others through phone or video calls.
When Can You Get Vaccinated?
The CDC has okayed reformulated 2024–2025 COVID vaccines that target the currently circulating variants, recommending everyone age 6 months or older get a shot.
What Is Your Risk of Long COVID if You Get Sick Now?
Because people are diagnosed with long COVID only when their symptoms from acute infections persist for at least three months, it will take some time to see for sure what the risk of long COVID looks like for people who are getting sick now.
However, some recent data suggests that the risk of long COVID is going down, Rutherford says.
Overall, the study found that about 5.3 percent of vaccinated people infected when the delta variant was circulating went on to get long COVID, compared with 3.5 percent of individuals infected later in the pandemic when the now-dominant omicron variant was circulating.
Among unvaccinated people, long COVID rates dipped from about 10.4 percent to 7.8 percent over the same time frame.
“That’s still a substantial number of cases given the number of cases of COVID,” Rutherford says.
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