Why your COVID symptoms may feel different with this wave of infections

by Alix Martichoux - 07/17/24 8:58 AM ET

(NEXSTAR) – Coronavirus levels are once again “very high” in several U.S. states as the country experiences a summer wave of COVID-19 infections. For many Americans it’s been more than six months since they’ve had a booster shot or a recent infection, leaving them vulnerable to getting sick again.

For those experiencing a reinfection, the symptoms they feel this time around may be different.

“No two COVID infections really have behaved the same,” Dr. Joseph Khabbaza, a pulmonary and critical care doctor at Cleveland Clinic, recently told the New York Times.

The virus is constantly evolving, with new variants and subvariants popping up regularly. Your body is also changing, and may respond differently to the virus depending on other health factors.

Plus, once your body has encountered COVID-19, it may respond differently – even stronger –the second or third time around. Your body’s immune response may kick into gear right away, causing you to feel symptoms – like a fever – before you even test positive, infectious disease expert Dr. Peter Chin-Hong told the Times.

Symptoms that were once common – like the loss of taste and smell – are reported much more rarely in 2024. Now, COVID is frequently confused with a cold due to so many overlapping symptoms.

The most common symptoms of a COVID-19 infection these days, according to Mayo Clinic‘s Dr. Daniel DeSimone, are congestion, runny nose, headache, sore throat and coughing. These issues are reported in more than half of patients who have a symptomatic case of COVID.

Other typical symptoms include chills, fever, body aches, fatigue, chest pain, changes in smell, or confusion (especially in elderly patients).

Diarrhea, vomiting and other stomach issues are more common with current variants than they were early in the pandemic. There’s increasing evidence of these gastrointestinal issues – but they have been overlooked until more recently.

Cases overall are typically milder, with fewer severe symptoms, for those who are vaccinated.