Doctors Are Seeing a Bizarre New COVID Symptom Right Now

Spring and St. Patrick’s Day are both on the way, and with them all the greenery, rainbows and Shamrock Shakes that come with them this festive time of year.

But before you celebrate not being buried up to your knees in snow in the foreseeable future, here’s another thing to worry about: COVID-19 is still very much a threat in March 2026—a full six years since the first lockdowns—and especially so to people who don’t exactly have a pot of gold in terms of their health.

“While most people will recover [from a COVID infection], some will get more serious illnesses, such as pneumonia, requiring medical care and hospitalization,” Dr. Joseph Bresee, MD, director of respiratory virus prevention and preparedness programs at The Task Force for Global Health, tells Parade. “Anyone who has shortness of breath should seek medical care to get early treatment. Serious disease is especially common among older adults, people with certain underlying illnesses and people with immunocompromising conditions.”

Part of what makes COVID-19, like influenza, so tricky is that it’s mutating constantly.

“The dominant strains are XFG and NB.1.8.1, both part of the JN.1 lineage,” Dr. Tyler Evans, MD, infectious disease specialist and founder and CEO of Wellness Equity Alliance, explains. “The current JN.1-based vaccines are designed to protect against them. Compared to earlier variants, these strains are more transmissible, but they do not cause a dramatically different set of symptoms. The main difference is that they’ve evolved to better sidestep some existing immunity from past infection or vaccination, which is why updated vaccines matter.”

“Since late 2021, Omicron variants have predominated in the United States,” Dr. Bresee adds. “As these viruses continue to evolve, public health officials watch carefully to see whether new strains will be more easily spread or cause more severe disease, and they are continuously testing to make sure that current drugs and vaccines are effective. As the viruses evolve, scientists also monitor to see if the symptoms they cause are changing.”

According to Dr. Nneoma Oparaji, MD, DipABLM, DABOM, “Most of the COVID-19 strains are from the Omnicron lineage, the type that has been the most common globally since late 2021 as it is easily transmissible. However, there are sub-variants of Omicron that are increasingly more common, such as NB.1.8.1 (‘Nimbus’) and XFG. Previously, COVID-19 strains included Alpha and Delta, which caused more serious symptoms.”

Which COVID-19 symptoms are doctors seeing most right now? Find out, and if you have any, please get tested!

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What Are the Most Common COVID-19 Symptoms in March 2026?

Dr. Jodi Baptiste, MD, primary care physician with PlushCare, tells Parade the symptoms she’s observing most often right now are more concentrated in the upper airway and not the lungs. They often include:

Sore throat
Nasal congestion
Runny nose
Cough (usually dry)
Fatigue
Headache
Fever or chills (though these are less universal than before)
Body aches
Mild gastrointestinal symptoms (think nausea, vomiting, diarrhea)

While a lot of these are what we’ve come to expect from COVID-19 over time, there’s a newer symptom popping up as well.

“Interestingly, we are seeing folks that are ‘bone tired’ but have insomnia and cannot get to sleep,” Dr. Scott Stienecker, MD, FACP, FSHEA, FIDSA, CIC, medical director of epidemiology and infection prevention at Parkview Health, tells us. “A short course of a sleep aid can help. Most people are ‘walking wounded’ and will improve with the usual comfort care.”

“Progression from mild to severe illness is much less common due to people’s immunity,” Dr. Jonathan Pinsky, MD, infectious disease specialist at Endeavor Health, explains. “Host immunity varies depending on how recently you were vaccinated or had a COVID infection.” (This means if you haven’t gotten a vaccine or a recent booster, you’re probably going to feel a lot worse than someone who did!)

All that said, not everyone will have every symptom if they’re infected, so be sure to test yourself or get to a doctor’s office if you think you may be getting sick.

Related: The Surprising COVID Vaccine Side Effect No One’s Talking About

What’s the Best Way To Protect Against COVID-19 Right Now?

Dr. Evans emphasizes one tool above all others to reduce your risk of hospitalization: “Staying up to date with vaccination remains the most effective way to reduce the risk of severe disease.”

He also recommends masking in healthcare spaces. “The best way to prevent getting sick from COVID is to get vaccinated each fall. While it may not always prevent infection, it helps your immune system fight the virus faster and can prevent more severe symptoms,” Dr. Pinsky concurs.

“Although there is no single perfect action to prevent infection, I advocate for the following strategies: Being up to date with COVID-19 vaccination, wearing well-fitted masks such as N95 in high-risk settings like crowded indoor spaces, frequent handwashing, avoiding close contact when infection risk is high and isolating if you test positive,” Dr. Oparaji says.

There are other steps to take to protect yourself from coronavirus infections as well.

Dr. Meenu Vaid, MD, board-certified infectious disease physician and medical director at Correctional Health Partners, recommends quality ventilation to improve the air quality and washing hands for at least 20 to 25 seconds.

Related: The One Habit Doctors Are Begging You To Break ASAP if You Don’t Want To Get Sick

How Can I Tell the Difference Between COVID-19 Symptoms and Allergies?

There are two key elements to look for, according to Dr. Oparaji.

“Generally, it can be challenging to differentiate between seasonal allergies and COVID-19 because the symptoms overlap. Seasonal allergies often cause itchy eyes, watery eyes, itchy nose or throat, frequent sneezing and a clear runny nose,” she says. “Seasonal allergies do not cause fever or body aches, unlike COVID-19. The best way to differentiate is by testing for COVID-19.”

“People should contact their healthcare provider if they have concerns and certainly if the symptoms they’re experiencing include shortness of breath, Dr. Bresee adds. “A test done from a nasal swab can reliably detect the presence of COVID-19.”

According to Dr. Pinsky, “If you think you may have cold symptoms and aren’t sure if it’s allergies, it’s best to cover your cough and avoid exposing others—especially newborns, the elderly, those with weakened immune systems or other medically vulnerable people.”

Related: 8 Sneaky Symptoms That You Might Not Realize Are Signs of Long COVID

What’s the Quickest Way To Get Rid of COVID Symptoms?

The most important thing to do is test to figure out if you really have COVID-19. Once that’s done, either get your behind into bed or into a doctor’s office.

“For most people, the treatment of COVID-19 infections involves supportive care, including rest, plenty of fluids and medicines to lower the fever and reduce the aches associated with the illness,” Dr. Bresee says. “In people with risk factors for severe illness, or people who have evidence of moderate or severe illness, such as shortness of breath, effective treatments are available by prescription.”

In this case, Dr. Bresee adds, you healthcare provider can help make an assessment and a recommendation for treatment. “Like influenza, treatment is more effective if started early, so people shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to a healthcare provider with any concerns they have.”

Related: The Weird Side Effect You Might Get from Taking Paxlovid—and What to Do About It

Will My COVID Risk Be Lower When the Weather Gets Warmer?

That’s a big maybe, according to doctors we spoke to, and a lot of it depends on where you live and how the virus mutates.

“As the spring starts, respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and influenza are likely to become less of a problem, but late-season peaks of both influenza and COVID-19 have been observed in the past,” Dr. Bresee says. “As COVID-19 viruses continue to evolve, we should always be mindful of respiratory viruses at anytime of the year. The CDC’s website is a great place to get updates on when and where COVID-19 is occurring.”

Dr. Oparaji adds, “Warmer weather does not guarantee a drop in the number of COVID-19 cases as there have been outbreaks during summer in the Southern states.”

“COVID doesn’t follow a predictable seasonal pattern the way flu does,” Dr. Evans points out. “We’ve seen summer increases before, so a late spring or summer rise would not be surprising. It’s difficult to forecast with precision. A larger summer wave could mean a smaller winter or early spring surge, but that could shift quickly if a substantially different variant appears.”

“Although respiratory viruses often spread more in colder, drier conditions, COVID activity is driven more by population immunity, human behavior, travel and emerging variants,” Dr. Baptiste warns. “CDC and NIH-supported research note that increases can still occur during warmer months, and while experts observe COVID trending toward seasonal patterns, new variants can shift trends at any time.”

Related: What Vaccines Do You Need in March if You’re Over 50? Doctors Explain