COVID Cases Are on the Rise This Summer — These Are the Symptoms to Lookout For

While we have come a long way from 2020, when COVID-19 became a global pandemic and sent the world into a lockdown that far exceeded anyone's expectations, new variants and surges continue to arise each year. It looks like 2025 is no exception to this rule, and as of July 2025 several new variants have hit the books.

These new variations of the virus are causing those who fall ill to experience new symptoms, as well, causing some to wonder what is going on with the summer spike.

Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about the new COVID symptoms in 2025, including what the experts are telling people to look out for when it comes to the summer surge hitting states across the country.

The summer of 2025 has introduced us to two new COVID variants: Nimbus and Straus. Fortunately, the chief medical correspondent with CBS News told viewers that the new variants are no more dangerous than previous variants during an appearance on CBS Mornings, where he addressed the different symptoms the two new strains can present with.

According to Dr. Jon LaPook, symptoms can include a mix of respiratory issues like we've seen in previous strains, including cough, fatigue, fever, and more.

The Nimbus variant appears to be the more dominant one at this time, and it's the strain known for causing the "razor blade throat" symptom that so many people have been complaining about. According to Today, Nimbus accounts for an estimated 43 percent of the cases that are being reported in the U.S. as of July 2025.

Some of the the other symptoms that these summer strains of COVID are causing in people:

• Cough
• Loss of smell/taste
• Aches
• Runny nose and/or congestion
• Chills or fever
• Shortness of breath
• Congestion
• Runny nose
• Headache

Fortunately, Dr. LaPook says that those who have received this season's COVID vaccinations should be protected against these strains, which means they should experience less severe symptoms.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report on July 18, 2025, showing that while considered very low, the number of people visiting the emergency room in the U.S. due to COVID-19 symptoms is on the rise, especially in children under the age of 4.

Additionally, wastewater monitoring shows that COVID-19 infections are either growing or likely to grow in several regions of the country, including the West Coast and the Southern and Southeastern states.

However, the uptick in cases isn't cause for alarm, according to Dr. LaPook, who told CBS Mornings that an increase in summer cases has become a common occurrence over the years.

"We now know that there's a winter spike and then there's a summer spike," he explained. "And every year, I just looked last night, the number of deaths, the number of hospitalizations, is gradually going down each season. So that's the good news."

But Dr. LaPook advises against getting too comfortable with the virus, since vulnerable populations are still at risk of getting really sick.

"I think the bottom line here is: Don't be blasé. It's the summer, people have all sorts of things. Be careful."