COVID symptoms 2026 are surfacing during a summer rise, not the usual winter pattern. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says infections are growing or likely growing in 47 states, and as of mid-August none are declining. Dr. Bradley Jacoby of Kaiser Permanente Riverside says his own records show a local uptick.
“We have been seeing more Covid. You know and I was looking at our own internal Kaiser data. And definitely we've seen an uptick” — Dr. Bradley Jacoby said. He described a pattern that is spreading nationally while also showing up in Riverside, which means patients are meeting the virus before the usual respiratory virus season begins.
Dr. Bradley Jacoby and Kaiser data
Jacoby, the Chief of Service for Pediatrics for Kaiser Permanente Riverside, said the virus does not behave like a once-a-year illness. “With Covid, you know there isn't really a seasonality to Covid. It's it's not a predictable once a year kind of pattern. You know, we have seen Covid spikes in summer in the past before. And unfortunately, it seems like this year like there is a spike in Covid over the summer as well” — he said.
That line matches CDC research showing COVID routinely peaks in late summer and winter. The current rise arrives in mid-August, which puts it well ahead of the flu pattern that still remains low nationwide.
Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
Patients are also reporting more stomach-related symptoms during the surge, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Those symptoms do not replace the classic respiratory complaints, but they do widen the list of what people should watch for when illness starts spreading in a household or workplace.
Jacoby also said people can become vulnerable again after a prior infection. “You may have had Covid six months or a year ago, your immunity starts to wane down or the virus mutates and now you're at risk again of coming down with Covid” — he said.
Xocova after exposure
Xocova gives exposed people a preventive option after a known contact. “If they're around somebody in their family or just in a place where, you know, they know that there was a contact with a Covid positive person, they can request this medication to help prevent them from coming down with Covid” — Jacoby said.
For now, doctors are pairing that option with basic steps: washing hands, avoiding close contact with sick people and staying home when feeling unwell. Jacoby also said September through the end of October is the key window for an annual flu shot, even as COVID activity climbs in 47 states and flu activity stays low.
