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Fortune
Fortune
Lindsey Leake

Could you have COVID? Here are the symptoms to watch out for in 2025

COVID symptoms are similar to those of flu, RSV, and the common cold, and may vary by vaccination status. (Credit: shironosov—Getty Images)

New year, new COVID symptoms? Not quite. While new variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, have come and gone in the five years the illness has circulated the globe, its array of symptoms hasn’t evolved as swiftly.

Though symptoms may vary by variant, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), epidemiologists haven’t linked select symptoms to specific variants. If you have COVID more than once, even your individual symptoms may differ from infection to infection.

That said, with the “quad-demic” of COVID, flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and norovirus making the rounds this winter, how do you know which illness your symptoms reflect? Testing, a process with which you’ve likely become intimately familiar these last few years, is the only way to know for sure.

Free, rapid COVID tests—four per household—are still available at COVIDtests.gov. They’re also sold at countless stores and online retailers. Some over-the-counter and laboratory tests can use a single sample to determine whether you have COVID, influenza A, influenza B, and/or RSV. A norovirus test must be completed by a health care professional, and there’s no test for the common cold.

View this interactive chart on Fortune.com

How do I treat my COVID symptoms?

While over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen can provide relief for most people with mild symptoms, the CDC says, it’s a good idea to discuss treatment options with your doctor as soon as you test positive for COVID.

People with certain medical conditions ranging from asthma to cancer to obesity are at high risk of severe COVID infection. People who have never gotten a COVID vaccine or aren’t up to date on their vaccinations are also at increased risk. Your health care provider will determine whether prescription antiviral medication such as Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir with ritonavir) or Lagevrio (molnupiravir) is right for you. To be effective, these treatments must be started within five to seven days of symptom onset.

For more on COVID-19:

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