Covid is back, but most people don't need to worry. Here's everything you need to know

SALT LAKE CITY — The CDC updated their website this week and one interesting point caught people's attention: Covid is back.

KSL Medical Contributor and pharmacist Phil Cowley said most people have nothing to worry about.

"We need to take a deep breath both literally and figuratively, because it's gonna be okay this time around," he said. "All of us have seen immunity."

Exposure through vaccines, prior infections or both has helped build protection across the population.

Cowley said viruses operate like competitors sharing the same space.

"Viruses fight amongst themselves for the host, which are us," he explained. "This is the first time COVID really has come back to see us. It's just its turn."

Different viruses dominate at different times. Cowley explained that the current increase is less about a new emergency and more about a familiar virus taking another turn circulating through the population. That doesn't mean we should ignore it, but it does mean the context is different than it was several years ago.

Protecting Vulnerable People

Cowley said healthy adults aren't at great risk, but some groups should take extra precautions. If you're sick, stay away from people who are pregnant or have compromised health.

"Stay away from all the elderly that could get sick, that even, you know, the smallest thing can really upset them," he said.

If you've been around a bunch of school kids or someone who has been sick, give yourself a couple days before you go visit grandma and grandpa.

Why Experts Aren't Expecting a Severe Season

Cowley said this year is going to be a low risk year for Covid, but there are other illnesses that might show up later in the year. Because countries in the Southern Hemisphere can experience flu season before North America does, health experts often watch those patterns for clues about what might show up here later.

"There's a couple of flus and a couple other things that happened in Australia earlier in the year," Cowley noted. "The flu that could come in later is the one that I'd watch for, not this one."

The Difference Between COVID and the Common Cold

Multiple respiratory illnesses are circulating at the same time which can get confusing.

"There's this huge cold going on right now that is just stuffing people's heads full of snot," Cowley said. "That's probably the rhinovirus that's really taking all the kids out of school right now."

He emphasized that COVID symptoms look different.

"What we're looking for is fatigue and body aches and shortness of breath," Cowley explained.

Those symptoms, especially when combined, are more consistent with COVID than a basic cold.

Symptoms

• Sore Throat
• Congestion
• Significant Fatigue
• Body Aches
• Headache
• Fever/Chills
• GI Issues

Essentials to Have on Hand

Cowley said no matter what, it's still smart to be prepared.

"We wanna make sure that we have ways that we're flushing out nose with saline," he said.

Saline rinses can help reduce congestion and keep symptoms from lingering. Pain relievers are another staple.

"Ibuprofen and Tylenol, you want those on hand," Cowley said.

For sore throats, he recommended cough drops with benzocaine.

"It really numbs the back of the throat," he said.

Find more advice from Phil Cowley on Instagram, @philsmypharmacist.

This story was adapted from a TV broadcast script using artificial intelligence. Every story, including those adapted with AI, is reviewed by a human editor before publication to ensure that KSL's editorial standards are upheld.