What experts say you should watch out for – NBC Chicago

With the increase in holiday gatherings during respiratory virus season, what symptoms should you watch for if you think you may have been exposed to COVID?

The XEC variant remains predominant in the U.S., according to “virus hunter” Mary Rodgers, a research associate at Abbott who tracks COVID variants around the world

“We’ve seen further development of COVID, and that’s actually to be expected,” Rodgers told NBC Chicago. “As people’s immune responses to a strain evolve, the virus is motivated to change so it can evade those immune responses. And that’s exactly what we’re seeing today.”

According to Rodgers and the World Health Organization, the XEC variant has shown no signs of being more dangerous than other current COVID strains, “but it is changing.”

“So we have to keep an eye on it,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers noted the importance of tracking symptoms, particularly with COVID variants.

“This is how Omicron was first discovered,” she said. “In fact, our partner we work with in South Africa noticed that a group of people in an area that had already recently experienced a COVID wave were suddenly experiencing more severe symptoms, and that alerted him to us sequencing these samples had to.” See which tribe was present. And after getting that sequence data back, he alerted the WHO that it was a new variant of concern, and that’s when Omicron was named for the first time.

As for XEC, Rodgers said the symptoms have remained unchanged so far.

But what are they and how can you tell the difference between COVID and the countless other respiratory infections spreading this holiday season?

Here’s what you should know:

What are the symptoms?

Experts have so far said that the XEC variant shows signs of remaining similar to other variants.

The symptoms for COVID currently remain the same:

• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny nose
• Sneeze
• fatigue
• Headache
• Muscle pain
• Altered sense of smell
• traffic jam
• Fever or chills
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Previous reports have focused on possible gastrointestinal symptoms associated with the virus.

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

“We don’t have specific data on the occurrence of gastrointestinal symptoms with the current strains of the virus, but COVID-19 symptoms can certainly vary 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 more common.

Dr. Chantel Tinfang, a family physician at Sengstacke Health Center at Provident Hospital in Cook County, noted at the time that many of the cases she saw were less likely to report fever, body aches and chills and more likely to have a sore throat, fatigue and cough.

“Some patients still experience decreased 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 then you know…it’s different. It’s not just coughing and shortness of breath. But we still see that.”

How long does COVID last?

As for timing, symptoms can last for several days, but in some cases longer.

“Some people infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 may experience long-term effects of their infection, known as long COVID or post-COVID conditions (PCC),” the CDC said.

Such symptoms can last for weeks and possibly even years.

However, previous timelines focused on five to ten days.

How can you 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 really hard to say whether someone could have COVID or flu based on symptoms alone,” Rodgers said. “So you need to check with your doctor what he would recommend for you. But of course testing will give you the definitive answer, so you’ll know whether your family has COVID or flu or not. “Everyone starts with the same fever, sore throat, runny nose and a test is really important in those situations.”

When should you test?

Experts still say home testing can be done multiple times on people with symptoms.

Rodgers says that’s because at-home tests are designed to detect infection when it’s at its highest.

“The home tests like Abbott’s Binaxnow are actually designed to detect infections when people are most contagious. So then they have the highest virus levels,” she said. “So that means if you still feel sick after a negative test, it would make sense to check with your doctor and perhaps do another round of testing.”

What to do if you get a positive test result?

In March, the CDC updated its COVID guidelines 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, effectively lifting the recommendation of five days of isolation.

People can return to work or normal activities if their symptoms are mild and improving and they have not had a fever for a day. However, the CDC still recommends that those with symptoms stay home.

“The recommendations recommend returning to normal activities when symptoms have improved overall for at least 24 hours and if fever was present, it has resolved without the use of fever-reducing medication,” the guidance states.

Once activities resume, the CDC continues to recommend “additional prevention strategies” for another five days, including wearing a mask and keeping your distance from others.

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

As part of the guidance, the CDC suggests the following:

• Remain up to date with the latest vaccinations to protect people from serious illness, hospitalization and death. This includes influenza, COVID-19 and RSV, where eligible.
• Practice good hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands frequently, or disinfecting and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
• Take action for cleaner airB. bringing in more fresh outside air, purifying indoor air, or gathering outdoors.

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

Most people have some immunity to the coronavirus through previous vaccinations or infections. And many people aren’t following the five-day isolation guideline 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 is tailored to a newer branch of the Omicron descendants. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines target a subtype called KP.2 that was common earlier this year.

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

“We expect that the latest updates to the vaccine will protect people from serious outcomes, just as previous versions were able to prevent more severe outcomes from the strain currently circulating,” she said. “It’s a bit like flu in the past, where mutations that allow the flu to spread at any time of year are the ones we fight with vaccines.”

A Pfizer spokesman said the company has submitted data to the FDA showing its updated vaccine produces “a significantly improved response” against multiple virus subtypes compared to last fall’s vaccine.

This summer’s COVID-19 surge isn’t over yet, but winter surges tend to be worse. And while COVID-19 vaccines are good at preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death, protection against mild infections only lasts a few months.

Where can you get free COVID tests?

After the summer surge of COVID-19 cases, Americans can now have free virus testing kits mailed to their homes. Ordering begins at the end of September.

According to the website COVIDtests.gov, U.S. households will be able to order up to four COVID-19 nasal swab tests when the federal program resumes. The U.S. Health and Human Services Administration, which oversees testing, has not announced an exact date for when the order will begin.

The tests will detect current strains of the virus and can be ordered before the holiday season, when family and friends gather for celebrations, an HHS spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Last year, over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 tests typically cost about $11.