COVID-19

There’s a good chance that you’ve probably had some firsthand experience getting sick with COVID. Most of the time, you’ll deal with respiratory stuff that feels a lot like a cold or flu. That said, the signs and symptoms can run the gamut, and range from mild to severe. (Not to mention, you can get “lucky” and be totally asymptomatic.) Which variant you have and your vaccination status can also affect the symptoms you experience.

Your symptoms (if you get them) will start showing up anywhere from two days to two weeks after you’ve been infected. Here’s a somewhat gnarly, definitely non-exhaustive list of potential COVID symptoms:

• Cough
• Congestion or runny nose
• Sore throat
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Loss of taste or smell
• Fever or chills
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Diarrhea
• Nausea or vomiting

Most people experience mild symptoms—but others become seriously sick, and might need to be hospitalized. People who are over the age of 60, have medical conditions (like diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, or immunosuppressive conditions like HIV), or are pregnant are more likely to get severely ill.

Back to top

Uh, remember when there was no way to even be sure if you had COVID-19? Thankfully, those days are far behind us. Today, we have two main types of tests that can diagnose a SARS-CoV-2 infection, both of which typically involve the not-entirely-pleasant process of collecting a sample with a nasal swab.

The most accurate kind of tests are molecular tests (like a PCR test). Usually a health-care provider performs the test and sends the sample to a lab, and you get the results 1-3 days later. These tests can catch at least 95% of infections. There are several at-home molecular tests for COVID, but they may require a separate device to read them and they tend to be more expensive. Here are some that are available:

• Lucira, $39.99
• Metrix, $24.99 (separate reader, $49.99)
• 3EO Health, $195 for two tests and the test reader (currently sold out)

Then there are antigen tests, the rapid at-home kits you can buy OTC and do yourself. While antigen tests are super convenient, they’re a little less reliable than molecular tests: They catch about 80% of infections. While positive results are pretty accurate, false negatives are a risk—especially if you’re early on in an infection or don’t have symptoms. That’s why you should take a second test 48 hours after the first. And, if you have no COVID symptoms, a third test another 48 hours later. (Yep, that’s a lot of tests!)

Here are some that are available:

• BinaxNOW, $15.09 for two
• CVS Health, $16.99 for two
• Flowflex, $13.49 for two
• Walgreens, $23.99 for two
• iHealth, $15.69 for two

Back to top

OK, so you tested positive… Now what? For starters, some down time. In March 2024, the CDC issued new guidance for respiratory viruses, including not only COVID-19 but also the flu and RSV. They recommend staying home and away from other people for at least 24 hours after:

A) Your symptoms are improving and

B) You're fever-free, even without using fever-reducing meds (like ibuprofen or acetaminophen)

While at this point you can go out and be around people, the CDC advises still taking some preventive precautions over the next five days in case you’re still contagious, including:

• Creating cleaner air (like using an air purifier, opening windows, or meeting people outside)
• Practicing extra good hygiene (like washing or sanitizing your hands more often and covering your coughs and sneezes… which, honestly, you should always be doing)
• Wearing a well-fitting mask
• Keeping your distance from other people
• Testing to see if you’re still positive

BTW: We should mention here that some experts are not happy that the CDC shortened the self-isolation period from the previous five-day minimum. They argue that the new guidelines are risky, since the virus can still be contagious after one day of feeling better.

Back to top

As for treatment, everybody can agree we’ve come a long way in that department. Most people still don’t need any special treatment—they’ll do just fine recovering at home with plenty of rest and OTC medications to relieve symptoms, like acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

But for people who are more likely to get severely ill, we now have a few prescription antiviral medications that can treat mild or moderate COVID. Docs are more likely to recommend them for older adults, people with certain medical conditions (like heart disease or a weakened immune system), and people who are unvaccinated (or behind on their boosters).

These antivirals all work by stopping the virus from multiplying in the body, which can prevent severe sickness and death. Paxlovid, for instance—a course of pills taken twice a day for five days, approved for use in adults and children 12 and over—can cut the risk of hospitalization by over 50% and death by 75%, according to the CDC. Other options include molnupiravir (Lagevrio), which is a five-day course of pills for use in adults, and remdesivir (Veklury), which is an IV therapy for adults and kids, given three days in a row.

The key thing about these meds? You have to start them early on in order for them to work—as soon as possible, and within 5 to 7 days after symptoms start at the latest, per the CDC. So if you know or suspect you have COVID and are in a high-risk category, you should get in touch with your doctor ASAP—even if your symptoms aren't bad.

Back to top

One of the most baffling phenomenons to emerge from the pandemic is long COVID, a serious condition that can develop after someone’s gotten COVID-19 and their symptoms last for months or even years.

Long COVID can look totally different from one person to the next, and can range from mild to debilitating. Scientists have identified over 200 symptoms (!)—from fatigue and brain fog (two very common ones), to heart palpitations, depression, diarrhea, joint pain, and changes in your menstrual cycle. You can also develop a new chronic condition with long COVID—like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or an autoimmune disease, according to a 2023 paper published in Nature Reviews Microbiology.

A 2024 survey suggested that more than 5% of US adults currently have long COVID.While anybody who’s had COVID-19 is at risk—even people who never knew they had it—it’s more likely to occur in certain people, like those who were hospitalized for the infection. At least 10% of severe COVID infections will result in long COVID, according to the Nature paper.

Scientists still have a lot of unanswered questions about long COVID. Currently, we have no diagnostic test, no great evidence-based treatments, and no cure. Treatment mostly focuses on managing symptoms. But research to better support people with long COVID is underway. For example, a few small pilot studies have found that some treatments that help people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), another post-viral syndrome, can also help some long COVID patients with certain symptoms, according to the Nature paper.

For now, your best shot at avoiding long COVID is vaccination. Some studies show that people who’ve been vaccinated may be less likely to develop long COVID.

Back to top

So let’s talk about how to actually curb the damage when it comes to COVID.

First and foremost: If public health campaigns have been doing their job, then you already know that vaccination is crucial. Many, many studies have shown that COVID-19 vaccines protect against serious illness, hospitalization, and death. That’s why they’re recommended for everybody who’s six months or older (and especially anyone who’s over age 65 or in another high-risk category).

The COVID vaccine isn't one and done, though. Even if you’ve been vaccinated and boosted already, you’ll want to get the most recent version available. Why? Vaccine protection wears off over time. Plus, updated formulations are more effective against newer strains going around. Consider keeping up with your COVID vaccines like getting your annual flu shot or physical: Just something you do on the regular for your health.

Beyond vaccines, controlling the damage when it comes to COVID just means covering the basics we’ve talked about already: Practice good hygiene, take measures to create clean and well-circulated air, test if you feel sick, follow the guidelines for staying home if you’re infected, and seek care if you’re at high risk.

Back to top

COVID is certaintly not the world-stopping pandemic it once was. Both the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the WHO ended the “public health emergency” declaration for COVID-19 back in May 2023. The HHS decided the virus was “no longer the disruptive force it once was,” thanks to the widespread availability of testing, vaccination, and treatment.

But COVID isn’t going away any time soon. Public health officials still see COVID as a public health threat. You can still expect to see surges every so often as new variants emerge. Long COVID remains a major burden we don’t have great solutions for. We’re still learning more about the dangers of reinfection. And of course, people with risk factors for severe illness will always be more vulnerable to the virus.

What does that all mean for you? Well, if COVID is here to stay in some capacity, then it’s your job to help minimize the harm it can do, to yourself and others. In other words: Amazing tools like tests and vaccines have helped us create a world where COVID is a whole lot less dangerous—and it’s on all of us to keep using them.

Back to top