Yes, COVID-19 is still around. The virus that causes it, SARS-CoV-2, continues to circulate year-round in the United States and globally. But the situation looks very different from 2020 or 2021. The World Health Organization ended COVID-19’s status as a public health emergency of international concern in May 2023, calling it “an established and ongoing health issue” that is “no longer an unusual or unexpected event.” In practical terms, COVID-19 has settled into a pattern more like the flu: always present, rising and falling with the seasons, and manageable for most people with available vaccines and treatments.
Current Activity Levels
As of mid-April 2025, national wastewater surveillance from the CDC rates COVID-19 viral activity as “very low,” the lowest category on its five-tier scale. Wastewater monitoring picks up traces of the virus from entire communities, making it one of the most reliable ways to track how much virus is actually spreading, since many people no longer get tested when they feel sick.
That “very low” reading doesn’t mean zero infections. People still catch COVID every week across the country. But transmission is far below the levels seen during major surges. For context, wastewater data showed high to very high influenza activity across most regions just two months earlier, in January and February 2025, while COVID stayed comparatively quiet during the same winter period.
The Virus Keeps Evolving
SARS-CoV-2 continues to mutate and produce new variants. As of early April 2025, a family of variants called XFG dominates in the U.S., with XFG.1.1 alone accounting for about 32% of sequenced cases. Several other XFG sublineages and a handful of PQ-lineage variants make up most of the rest. None of these have triggered alarm about dramatically increased severity, but the constant evolution is why updated vaccines are released annually, similar to flu shots.
COVID-19 Now Follows a Seasonal Pattern
Since 2023, COVID-19 has settled into a predictable twice-a-year rhythm in the U.S. Peaks consistently occur in late summer (July through September) and again in winter (December through February). About 65% of all viral detections during the study period fell within those six combined months. Every region of the country follows this two-peak pattern, though exact timing varies slightly by area.
This means that even when activity is very low in spring or fall, another wave is likely a few months away. The summer surge catches many people off guard because it doesn’t align with traditional “cold and flu season” expectations.
What Happens If You Get Infected Now
For most people, a COVID-19 infection in 2025 is milder than it was in the early pandemic years, thanks to widespread immunity from prior infections, vaccination, or both. Symptoms typically resemble a bad cold or flu: fever, cough, fatigue, body aches, sore throat, and congestion.
The CDC’s current guidance treats COVID the same as other respiratory viruses like flu and RSV. You can return to normal activities once your symptoms are improving overall and you’ve been fever-free for at least 24 hours without using fever-reducing medication. For the next five days after returning to activities, the CDC recommends added precautions: wearing a well-fitted mask around others indoors, improving ventilation, and keeping some physical distance when possible. If you test positive but never develop symptoms, the same five-day precaution window applies.
Treatments Are Still Available
Antiviral medications remain available for people at higher risk of severe illness. The two main options are oral pills that you take at home, and both need to be started within five days of your first symptoms to be effective. One common side effect is a metallic taste in the mouth, which goes away once you finish the course. If you’re over 65, immunocompromised, or have chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease, contact your doctor quickly after a positive test to discuss whether antiviral treatment makes sense for you.
Vaccines and Testing
Updated COVID-19 vaccines are now released on an annual schedule, similar to flu shots. The 2024-2025 formula targets the Omicron KP.2 subvariant. For most adults and children ages 5 and up, a single dose of the updated vaccine is recommended. Younger children may need additional doses depending on their vaccination history.
Home rapid tests are still sold at pharmacies and online. If you have leftover tests from earlier in the pandemic, the FDA maintains a searchable database where you can check whether your specific test’s expiration date has been extended, since many tests remain accurate well past the date printed on the box. A current negative rapid test is most reliable when taken at least 24 to 48 hours after symptoms begin.
Long COVID Remains a Concern
One reason COVID-19’s continued circulation matters is the risk of long-lasting symptoms after infection. Census Bureau survey data found that about 31% of adults who reported having had COVID experienced symptoms that lingered well beyond the initial illness. These can include persistent fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations lasting weeks or months. The risk of long COVID appears lower with milder infections and in people who were vaccinated before getting infected, though it hasn’t disappeared entirely. Researchers are still working to understand why some people recover quickly while others don’t.