COVID-19 never left. And like in every summer since 2020, Central Texas is seeing a spike in cases.

We know this anecdotally through what local doctors’ offices and clinics are experiencing, as well as an uptick in COVID-19 in our wastewater.

This summer spike is exactly what Austin has seen since COVID-19 arrived in 2020, said Dr. Angela Gibson, the urgent care and after-hours chief for Austin Regional Clinic.

“None of us are surprised,” she said. “It is doing exactly what we thought it would do.”

Why do COVID-19 cases rise each summer?

After May brought some of the lowest numbers of cases since COVID-19 began, the cases started climbing again in June, and “now it’s everywhere,” Gibson said.

The simple reason: People are traveling. Most of the cases Gibson has seen are in people who have been in and around airports or have had family members traveling.

If you haven’t had the latest COVID-19 booster from last fall, it’s not a bad idea to get that vaccine a month before a big trip, Gibson said. The next update in boosters should be out in September, she said.

What are the symptoms of this COVID-19 variant?

The U.S. is still seeing omicron variants, including FLiRT strains, which are very similar. Most people don’t have the loss of smell or taste. Sometimes they have stomach upset or diarrhea, but mostly the symptoms are flulike:

• Fever.
• Sore throat.
• Nasal congestion or runny nose.
• Cough.
• Body aches.
• Fatigue.
• Headache.
• Brain fog.

People can have any or many of these.

“I wish I could say there was something definitive,” Gibson said.

Often, people might think they are having allergies, even though seasonal allergies in Austin are at their lowest point in July, she said.

Are people in the hospital with COVID-19?

Very few people need to go to the hospital now for COVID-19.

“I haven’t had to send a patient to the hospital (for COVID-19) in a long time,” said Dr. Edgar Navarro Garza, a pediatrician at Harbor Health.

Gibson, who treats both adults and children, also hasn’t had to hospitalize someone for COVID-19 in a while.

Most patients with COVID-19 who do end up going to an emergency room have respiratory symptoms similar to the common cold, said Dr. Ann Buchanan, an emergency room physician at St. David’s Medical Center. Some also have nausea and vomiting.

Most people who test positive for COVID-19 are not experiencing serious symptoms because we have built up immunity through vaccination, previous infections or being exposed to it in the community, Garza said. Doctors also are able to help patients better manage COVID-19 at home to prevent the need to go to a hospital, he said.

When should you take a test?

Anytime you have any of the COVID-19 symptoms, you should take an over-the-counter test. Because many people have only mild symptoms, COVID-19 has become sneakier and easier to spread by the otherwise healthy people who think they just have a cold or allergies, Gibson said. They often get a surprise if they do take a COVID-19 test, she said, because their test turns out positive for the virus.

COVID-19 and flu are still dangerous for people who are older than 65 or have a condition that compromises their immune system.

Do I have to quarantine if I have COVID-19?

The CDC changed the guidelines in March. You should stay home with COVID-19 until you have had 24 hours in which your symptoms are getting better and you are fever-free. After that point, for the next five days, you should take precautions such as wearing a mask and distancing to protect other people from becoming sick.

What else is going around?

Flu: It’s not common, but the occasional case is popping up, especially for people who have traveled recently or been around people who have traveled recently.

Strep throat: In children or in adults who are around children, this bacterial infection shows up regularly.

“Walking” pneumonia, aka mycoplasma pneumonia: This is spreading among families and has a spike every four to five years, Gibson said. This is the year of the spike. It can take one to four weeks to spread from family member to family member. At first it seems like any other cold, but then the cough doesn’t get better and the fever might return occasionally. Antibiotics are needed to treat it.

Intestinal ick: The vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, etc., can be caused by a variety of factors in the summer: Traveling to other countries where your body isn’t used to the food or water; food poisoning, especially from improperly storing food in the heat; a general stomach bug; or drinking the water while swimming in a pool, lake or river. If it isn’t better in 48 hours, you should see a doctor.

Pink eye: It’s the other ick from the swimming in unclean water problem.

Heat stroke or exhaustion, or sunburn: Remember to drink enough water (not beverages with alcohol or caffeine) to have light-colored urine; to seek the shade; to avoid being outside in the afternoon heat; to wear an SPF 30 or more sunscreen; and to add a new coat of sunscreen every one to two hours.

Not Saharan dust: Most people are not having a problem with Saharan dust unless they have asthma or another lung disease, Garza said. If you think you are having a problem with a sore throat and nasal congestion, check for COVID-19.