The updated, most common COVID symptoms, and they are not what you think

The current COVID-19 surge is milder than it was this time last year.

However, health officials are warning of a nationwide tripledemic of the flu, COVID-19 and Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) that could fill up hospitals this holiday season.

Some health officials are even advising Americans to start wearing masks again in case the surge worsens.

If youre looking out for signs you might have COVID this season, youll notice that the most prevalent symptoms are slightly different from what people experienced last year.

Heres what you need to know as the most current strains of the COVID-19 virus have mutated since the start of the pandemic.What are the most up-to-date symptoms of COVID-19?

There are new symptoms of COVID-19 that are linked to dominant subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, according to The Hill. These subvariants make up the majority of coronavirus cases in the U.S.

A recent survey from the ZOE Health Study found that these are the top 10 reported COVID symptoms in the last 30 days:Sore throat Runny nose Blocked nose Sneezing Coughing without phlegm Headache Coughing with phlegm Hoarse voice Muscle aches and pains Altered sense of smell

Notably absent from that list are fever and loss of taste and smell, which were earlier markers of the virus. These symptoms distinguished it from other viruses, such as the flu or a cold.

But what all of these symptoms have in common is that they were COVID-19 side effects since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

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Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.