These Are the 7 Most Common Symptoms of the COVID-19 SW.2 Variant Doctors Are Seeing Right Now

COVID-19 is still here and is still quite dangerous for many, even if your aunt thinks it’s “just a cold.”

In addition to the risk that COVID poses to at-risk, aging and immunocompromised people in the immediate term, you also run the risk of severe impacts on brain health over time, and long COVID can wreak havoc on even otherwise healthy and younger people. Trust us: You do not want to play games here.

As always, vaccination is one of the best forms of protection against COVID-19, and current COVID vaccines and boosters can keep you from getting severe cases that require hospitalization. Vaccines have also been shown to prevent people who do get infected from developing long COVID.

Read on to find out about the current COVID-19 strains and variants for October 2026, as well as the most common COVID symptoms that doctors, infectious disease specialists and public health experts are warning about for the upcoming season.

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What Is the Dominant COVID Variant Right Now?

“The leading variant nationwide is SW.2, at about 21% of cases, followed by XFG.1.1 at 16% and RW.1.1 at 9%,” Tyler B. Evans, MD, MS, MPH, AAHIVS, DTM&H, FIDSA, public health expert and infectious disease specialist, tells Parade. “No single strain dominates the way Delta or the original Omicron did. That matters less than the trend line. As of September 18, CDC reports COVID-19 activity is elevated and rising nationally, though hospitalizations remain low.”

Related: Getting COVID Again Is More Dangerous Than Most People Realize—Here’s What To Know

The 7 Most Common Symptoms of the COVID Variant SW.2

According to doctors and infectious disease experts with whom we spoke, you can expect to see any combination of the following symptoms if you get infected with the SW.2 COVID variant (and these will apply to the other current strains as well):

1. Body aches

If you’re feeling sore, even though you haven’t hit the gym in a bit, beware!

2. Congestion

Your nose and sinuses may feel stuffy if you catch COVID-19 in October 2026.

3. Dry cough

The typical COVID dry cough that produces very little relief is another hallmark this month.

4. Fatigue

While you may or may not get that “bone tired” feeling from March 2026 variants, you will likely feel really sluggish if you get infected with COVID-19 this October.

5. Fever

Fever and chills that make it hard for you to feel comfortable will be common in October 2026 COVID infections from pretty much all common strains.

6. Runny nose

While some may get congested and stuffy noses, others may experience runny noses with SW.2 variants and those adjacent to it. Others who really hit the jackpot may get both. Awesome.

7. Sore throat

Thankfully, that “razor blade sore throat” seems to still be a thing of the past, but you’ll likely still have some throat discomfort with October 2026 COVID strains.

“This is the same symptom complex that has characterized COVID for some time,” Dr. William Schaffner, MD, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, notes. “They can become more severe, requiring hospitalization in persons who are older, have chronic medical conditions, are immunocompromised or who are pregnant.”

Related: Doctors Say Older Adults Are Mistaking These Symptoms for Normal Aging—but It Could Be Long COVID

How Are Today’s COVID Symptoms Different From Earlier Strains?

They aren’t! “The biggest change happened years ago, not this season,” Dr. Evans tells Parade. “There has been no major shift in the latest variants. Compared with 2020, today’s infections look more like an upper respiratory illness. Loss of taste and smell, once the signature symptom, is now uncommon. People who wait for that symptom before testing will miss most cases.”

Related: There’s a Medication That Could Help Prevent Long COVID

COVID-19 vs. Allergies vs. The Flu: How To Tell the Difference

Fall brings with it not just more cases of COVID-19 when everyone is getting cozy indoors, but also flu season, colds and autumn allergies. All of them suck, but obviously to different degrees. How do you know which one you’re dealing with and what do you do about it?

“As an emergency medicine physician, one of the questions I get asked constantly this time of year is how to tell COVID apart from allergies or the flu,” Dr. Niaz Farhat, MD, emergency medicine physician at Immediate Care Centers of Texas, explains. “The general rule of thumb: allergies don’t cause fever and usually come with itchy eyes, whereas COVID and flu often do. Flu tends to hit harder and faster, with body aches and fatigue that come on suddenly, while COVID symptoms can build more gradually and are more likely to include loss of taste or smell in some patients. None of these are reliable enough to self-diagnose by symptoms alone, which is exactly why testing matters.”

If you’re not sure which affliction is making you feel crummy, see your physician or snag an at-home test (some will cover both COVID and flu) to suss it out and figure out how to treat it—if not to protect yourself, then at least to keep from infecting other people.

“Many people will describe it as a bad cold,” Dr. Evans says. “And that is exactly why it spreads.”

Related: The Common Mistake That Increases Your Risk of Catching COVID Twice This Season

How Long Is the Incubation Period for the SW.2 COVID Variant?

Pay attention, because this one is important!

“The incubation period is similar to what we have seen with Omicron in general. Typically, it is about three to four days, although symptoms can appear anywhere from approximately two to five days after exposure,” Dr. Suraj Saggar, DO, chief of infectious disease at Holy Name in Teaneck, N.J., tells Parade. “Compared with 2020, when the incubation period was more commonly around five to six days, the incubation period is now generally a day or two shorter.”

Dr. Saggar adds, “Because the incubation period is shorter, testing too soon after exposure can result in a false negative. After a known exposure, if you have no symptoms, it is generally reasonable to wait three to five days before testing. If you develop symptoms, you should test when symptoms begin.”

That said, if you know you’ve been exposed to COVID but still feel OK, you have options to keep feeling that way—if you hurry.

“Important, if you have been exposed to COVID (especially if you are in a high-risk group), there now is a medication you can take (XOCOVA) that will prevent the development of COVID,” Dr. Schaffner says. “If someone tests positive, they can tell all their contacts, so that they can protect themselves. You never know when one of your contacts might have, for example, diabetes, which puts them at higher risk.”

Related: Infectious Disease Expert Says There’s One Thing To Know Before Taking Newly Approved COVID-19 Pill

Do At-Home COVID Tests Still Work on the New Strains?

The good news: Yes, you can test at home for newer COVID strains!

“These tests generally target the nucleocapsid protein, which is part of the virus’s inner structure. Most of the mutations associated with newer variants occur on the spike protein, so the core target of these tests remains relatively stable,” Dr. Saggar explains. That said, he notes that test accuracy can depend on a few factors, including:

Proper COVID testing technique

“It’s important to follow the instructions carefully and collect the sample correctly,” Dr. Saggar explains. You’ll also want to make sure your at-home test hasn’t expired!

Timing

“Testing too early can result in a false negative,” Dr. Saggar says. “If you’ve been exposed but don’t have symptoms, waiting about three to five days before testing can improve the likelihood of detecting an infection. Testing on day zero or day one may simply be too early. If you test negative but still have concerns, you can repeat the test about 48 hours later.”

Viral load

The amount of virus present can affect whether the test detects an infection.

“A positive test is generally very reliable, with relatively few false positives,” he adds. “A negative test, however, is less definitive, particularly if you test very early in the infection. For example, you could have mild symptoms but not yet have a high enough viral load in your nose for an at-home test to detect the virus.”

Related: ‘I’m an Infectious Disease Expert, and This Is the Most Commonly Overlooked COVID Symptom Right Now’

When To See a Doctor for COVID Symptoms

Ideally, you’d see a doctor as soon as you start feeling bad, and that’s especially so if you’ve already tested positive for COVID—because it’s more serious, still to this day, than many people want to believe or remember.

“People who test positive for COVID-19 or flu should contact a clinician to discuss whether treatment with an antiviral is a good idea based on risk factors for progression to more severe COVID-19 such as lung or heart disease, significant immunocompromise and extreme age,” Dr. David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine, co-principal investigator of U.N.C. infectious diseases clinical research trials unit, advises. “In mid-January 2026, one out of every 125 people who died in the US died from COVID-19. It’s not gone or always mild.”

If you’re on the fence, Dr. Farhat urges you to get checked out to be safe.

“Come in if you have trouble breathing, chest pain, confusion, bluish lips, a fever that won’t come down or if you’re in a high-risk group (age 65 or older, pregnant, immunocompromised or with an underlying condition like heart or lung disease) and your symptoms aren’t improving after a few days,” he says. “Most otherwise-healthy people can manage mild COVID at home, but freestanding emergency rooms and urgent care exist for exactly this decision point when someone isn’t sure whether their symptoms are serious enough to warrant care.”

Up Next:

Related: COVID Had a Startling Impact on Our Brains, New Research Says—Here’s What a Neurologist Wants You To Do

Sources

• Tyler B. Evans, MD, MS, MPH, AAHIVS, DTM&H, FIDSA, public health expert and infectious disease specialist
• Niaz Farhat, MD, emergency medicine physician at Immediate Care Centers of Texas
• Suraj Saggar, DO, chief of infectious disease at Holy Name in Teaneck, N.J.
• William Schaffner, MD, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
• David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine, co-principal investigator of U.N.C. infectious diseases clinical research trials unit and investigator of the U.N.C. COVID-19 clinical research response