After a mostly quiet summer, COVID symptoms 2023 are returning to the US. The latest subvariant EG.5 (Eris) is causing a rise in cases and hospitalizations across the country.
The latest variant percentage figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that EG.5 is responsible for most COVID cases in the US, making up just over 20% of all infections. Hospitalizations are also going up. The most current data shows that starting August 19, there were 15,067 new COVID hospitalizations, 19% more than the previous week.
As with most new COVID variants and subvariants, the first question that people ask is, “What are the Covid Symptoms 2023?” All COVID-19 symptoms, no matter the variant, won’t be very different. However, it’s hard to say which Covid Symptoms 2023 are unique to EG.5. Here’s what doctors have seen as the new subvariant has become more popular across the US.
Covid Eg.5 “Eris” Variant Is Released
The CDC says that the new COVID subvariant EG.5 is the main cause of most cases in the United States. Doctors often see upper respiratory problems like sore throats, coughs, stuffy noses, and runny noses, even though there isn’t much evidence of the new variation. Many people with newer types of COVID don’t lose their sense of smell or taste as often.
What Are The Signs Of Eg.5 Covid 2023?
Some doctors say that COVID symptoms are moderate to common, but there isn’t solid proof about what kinds of symptoms people have.
A pediatric infectious diseases expert at Norton Children’s Infectious Diseases, Kristina K. Bryant, MD, told Health that most patients she sees have the same symptoms as the previous Omicron subvariant. These signs are mostly upper respiratory problems like a sore throat, cough, stuffy nose, and congestion.
“Some people even said they thought they had allergies,” Bryant said. “But you should keep an eye on EG.5” It is the subvariant that is seen most often.
How To Spot And Report Covid
COVID-19 patients say they are sick with a wide range of symptoms, from mild to serious. These are the signs that people most often report:
- Feeling cold or feverish
- Make a noise
- Having trouble breathing or lack of breath
- Feeling tired
- A pain in the muscles or all over the body
- Head hurts
- Getting a new taste or smell
- Having throat pain
- Nose that runs or stuffy nose
- feeling sick or throwing up
- Having diarrhea
When Does Covid-19 Start To Show Up?
The CDC says that COVID signs show up 2–14 days after being exposed to the virus. When someone tests positive for COVID-19, they generally have symptoms for a few weeks. Long-haulers, or people who have had COVID for a long time, may have long-lasting effects for at least 12 weeks but no more than 3 months after infection.
Severe Covid Signs And Symptoms
As per the CDC, the following COVID symptoms 2023 are thought to be more serious:
- having trouble breathing
- long-term chest pain or pressure
- a new confusion
- not being able to wake up or stay awake
- Light, gray, or blue skin, lips, or nail beds depend on the skin tone.
This is not a full list of all the major symptoms. If your Covid Symptoms 2023 make you feel bad, call your doctor.
Covid-19 Symptoms No Longer Happen Often
Some signs showed up more often as the SARS-CoV-2 virus changed during the epidemic, while others showed up less often. The sickness is still mostly hurting the respiratory system, though.
William Schaffner, MD, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, said, “The picture of COVID (the clinical presentation) seems to be pretty much the same from beginning to end. It looks a lot like influenza and RSV.” “The major impact of this virus is on the respiratory tract, particularly the lungs, and the lung can respond in only so many ways.”
Loss of taste and smell was one of the most typical signs of the virus when it first showed up in 2020. After over three years, that condition has become much less common in the community. A study in the journal Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery says that 6-7% of people with current COVID omicron changes may lose their sense of smell and taste. In the future, losing your sense of smell and taste may not indicate a COVID-19 diagnosis.3
Besides that, stomach problems like sickness, vomiting, and diarrhea happen less often over time. Additionally, as seen by doctors, the number of cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) has decreased. Based on information from the CDC, MIS-C happened in one of the 3,000 to 4,000 kids and teens who got SARS-CoV-2 in 2020. From the start of the pandemic until now, the disease has become less common.5
Schaffner says that the drop in MIS-C might be because many kids have been exposed to COVID-19 or vaccinated against it.
Read More: Educating the Retarded Child in the Best Possible Manner
Do We Still Need To Test For Covid?
Because signs and symptoms aren’t enough to tell if someone has COVID-19, testing is the only way to be sure. EG.5 should be found in all COVID-19 tests, including PCR tests done by doctors and quick tests done at home.
Schaffner says it’s especially important to get checked if you have breathing problems or other respiratory illnesses or if you’re pregnant or have a condition that puts you at a high risk of getting a serious illness. “If [your test] turns out positive, please contact your healthcare provider because we have the medicine Paxlovid that can help protect you from this illness getting more severe and putting you in the hospital,” he stated.
Scientists agree that the newest form of the vaccine, based on the XBB variant, will help keep people from getting very sick with EG.5. “Remember these vaccines do a better job at preventing severe disease than milder infection,” Schaffner said. “But that’s the point; we want to keep you out of the hospital and this updated booster will help you get through the winter.”
It’s also important to remember that SARS-CoV-2 will almost certainly keep changing. Because of different mutations, some years will have worse signs and illnesses than others. “Like with flu, some years we have a bad flu season and we have some people with just mild [cold-like] symptoms while others develop severe lower respiratory tract problems,” said Bryant. “I think ultimately, we are going to see the same with SARS-CoV-2; some seasons are going to be worse than others.”
