In 2020, COVID-19 redefined global health infrastructure, travel norms and daily habits. Today, even though most of the world is back to business as usual, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that triggered a global pandemic still remains silently persistent. With new data emerging in 2025, it's obvious that even if the severity of the virus had reduced for most, its mutation keeps impacting populations in new and complex ways.

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So, what is COVID in 2025 like? From nuanced changes in patterns of symptoms to news on vaccine immunity and AI-driven virus forecasting, here's a closer look at the latest direction of COVID and its continued influence.

While hospitalizations and COVID-19 deaths have significantly slowed from pandemic highs, the virus is hardly gone. In Australia alone, there were 58,000 cases of COVID so far in 2025, though experts say the real numbers are much greater, given decreasing testing and underreporting.

Sentinel surveillance statistics by FluCan, a network of 14 hospitals, reported 781 hospitalizations due to COVID complication in the first quarter of 2025 alone. Another 289 deaths due to respiratory infections caused by COVID happened in the first two months of the year. These statistics point out that, although COVID seems less formidable now, it is still a critical healthcare issue for some sections of the population.

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Who Is Still at Risk of Severe COVID?

Currently, the vast majority of individuals who develop COVID have a mild, self-limiting illness. Nonetheless, the following groups are still at risk:

• Older adults, especially those over the age of 70
• Immunocompromised persons, including cancer patients
• Individuals with chronic disease, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease
• Socially disadvantaged populations, including those experiencing homelessness

Social disparities persist to influence health outcomes. In the UK, residents of the most deprived neighborhoods are twice as likely to be admitted to hospital with infectious diseases as those in better-off neighborhoods.

Unique Symptoms of New COVID

The typical COVID symptoms are fever, cough, sore throat, and shortness of breath — remain among the most frequently reported. Yet, newer strains have brought back some distinct symptom trends:

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Early in the pandemic, anosmia, or the acute loss of taste or smell, was one of COVID's defining symptoms. The symptom was less frequent with Omicron, but a recent report from a French study indicates a return of anosmia in infections involving the JN.1 variant.

Anosmia is now more variant-specific, so it is a key symptom to monitor for new variants.

One of the key distinguishing factors between COVID and other respiratory diseases such as pneumonia or the flu is the lingering of symptoms, a condition now commonly known as Long COVID.

Scientists at the University of Texas matched patient data between COVID, influenza, and pneumonia. The analysis concluded that symptoms of COVID lasted longer and differed in intensity and nature. Brain fog, breathlessness, and fatigue were the most likely of the symptoms to linger months post-infection. Of interest, these post-viral symptoms appeared more frequently among the unvaccinated.

How Long Does COVID Last in 2025?

For the majority of healthy patients with mild to moderate illness, COVID symptoms disappear in 7 to 10 days. Individuals can, however, be infectious from 48 hours prior to symptom onset until around 10 days after infection.

Notably, symptom duration and recovery vary depending on various factors:

Infection severity: Severe infections may have weeks- or months-long symptoms

Vaccination status: Those who are vaccinated tend to recover more quickly and experience fewer ongoing symptoms

Past history of infection: Future infections are shorter and less symptomatic

A UK study of 5,000 healthcare workers found that fatigue fell progressively with each reinfection — 17.3% after the first, 12.8% after the second, and only 10.8% after the third.

Why Testing Still Matters Even in 2025?

COVID testing continues to be an important tool, particularly in symptomatic people, those with recent contact, or who are high-risk groups. Rapid antigen tests (RATs) are easily accessible, yet a negative RAT is not necessarily conclusive of non-infection — especially in the early phase.

Confirmatory PCR testing is still the gold standard for reliable detection and is advised in individuals who are looking for early medical intervention, particularly in the immunocompromised.

While isolation is no longer required in most areas, public health recommendations include staying home when sick and wearing a well-fitting mask when out in public.

Is Vaccination Still The Most Effective Shield?

COVID vaccines remain effective against severe illness and symptomatic infection. Recent European data (awaiting peer review) indicate that vaccines were 66% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID this winter.

2025 vaccination recommendations are:

• Adults 65–74: Boosters every 12 months

• Adults 75 and older: Boosters every 6 months

• High-risk adults (18+): Eligible for a booster every 6 months

• A wide-ranging overview of more than 4,300 studies determined that fully vaccinated individuals were 27% less likely to develop long COVID than unvaccinated individuals.

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AI in COVID Testing

As SARS-CoV-2 evolves through mutations, keeping vaccines effective is a moving target. Come forward EVE-Vax, a sophisticated AI system that computer-generates viral proteins that may be able to bypass immune defenses.

Unlike other approaches that respond to current variants, EVE-Vax anticipates ahead of time how the virus could change. By modeling possible future mutations, this technology could transform the way vaccines and treatments are designed — not only for COVID but for other fast-changing viruses such as influenza and HIV.

Is COVID in 2025 Different?

Though the immediate global crisis is over, COVID-19 in 2025 is an evolving public health concern. While the majority of cases are mild, the virus still presents severe threats to at-risk populations, and long-term complications are increasingly understood.

Public health measures now need to walk a tightrope between caution and flexibility — incorporating technological innovation such as AI modeling and continuing global vaccination programs to pre-empt future surges. The virus has evolved, our response must also evolve.

The long-standing practice of adding fluoride to community drinking water in the United States is now under sharp review as questions rise about whether its advantages continue to outweigh possible risks. A fresh set of findings pushes back against recent warnings about fluoride in water and suggests that it might offer added benefits.

This renewed national discussion began after a government report from the National Toxicology Program stated that high fluoride exposure was tied to lower IQ in children. That report, however, assessed fluoride amounts that were at least twice higher than federal recommendations and had limited information about what happens at lower, commonly used levels, as per CNN.

However, the latest study examined fluoride quantities that match the usual suggested range in drinking water. Researchers found strong evidence showing that children who grew up with water containing these lower levels of fluoride performed better on cognitive assessments than those who had no fluoride exposure.

Fluoride in US Public Water Faces Renewed Questions

Dr. Rob Warren, lead author of the study released in Science Advances, said he was surprised by the National Toxicology Program’s earlier conclusions and felt the need to produce evidence more suitable for public policy. He explained that he pursued the work because it was a major question without a clear answer.

The national debate has also intensified as US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has labeled fluoride an industrial waste and pointed to possible IQ loss while calling for a rollback of federal guidance. Utah and Florida have already moved to prohibit fluoridation of public water.

As per CNN, Warren compared the situation to testing a heart medication. If the advised dose is 100 milligrams, but a study measures reactions to nearly a million milligrams, the results do not reflect what happens at the normal dose. He said that this is how much of the fluoride research has been structured and that only extremely high doses have shown harmful effects, which is not helpful for policy decisions.

Warren directs a long-running program that began in the US Department of Education and has followed tens of thousands of Americans from their high school years in the 1980s through several decades.

Fluoride and Cognition: What The Study Found

For the current analysis, the team linked math, reading and vocabulary test scores from nearly 27,000 participants to the level of fluoride in their childhood drinking water. These measurements were based on older records from the US Geological Survey and the Department of Health and Human Services, as per CNN.

Researchers worked under the assumption that participants spent their entire upbringing near their high schools. They sorted people into three groups. One group had steady exposure to recommended fluoride levels either through natural sources or public water treatment. Another group never had fluoride in their water. A third group had mixed exposure because their community changed its water policy at some point.

Students who had fluoride for only part of their childhood scored higher on tests than peers who never had it. Those who grew up with fluoride throughout all their childhood years scored even better. Follow-up testing that continued up to 2021, when many had reached about 60 years of age, also showed no sign that fluoride contributed to cognitive decline.

Warren clarified that cognitive tests are not exact IQ scores, although they relate strongly. Test results reflect both mental ability and the learning opportunities a person receives. He is currently working on a follow-up project that will look more closely at fluoride and IQ with improved childhood location data.

Other studies this year suggested that removing fluoride from public water in the United States could lead to more than 25 million extra cavities among children and teenagers in five years along with nearly 10 billion dollars in dental treatment costs. Although the new study did not measure dental health, experts noted that pain from untreated cavities can interfere with a child’s ability to attend school or stay focused, which may influence academic scores.

Why Experts Still Differ on Fluoride Policy

Fluoride occurs naturally in some groundwater and foods. It protects teeth by strengthening enamel, which can be damaged by acids formed from bacteria, plaque and sugar. Communities in the United States started adding fluoride to water systems in 1945 to improve oral health in a cost-effective way.

The American Dental Association and numerous specialists continue to support community water fluoridation. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also kept its recommendations unchanged. The agency does not have authority to require fluoridation, but it considers 0.7 milligrams per liter the ideal amount.

Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration restricted the use of prescription fluoride supplements. The agency noted that unapproved fluoride products may alter the gut microbiome and that better options exist to protect teeth.

In a written response published with the new research, Dr. David Savitz from Brown University argued that before ending a decades-long public health practice, there must be clear proof of harm at commonly used fluoride levels. He wrote that there is still no convincing evidence that fluoridation lacks benefit or causes damage at recommended doses.

He quoted a well-known saying, noting that if something is not broken, there is no reason to fix it. He said the new study suggests that fluoridated water remains on the side of being effective and safe.

The Neuralink chip is a piece of technology that’s hoped will one day allow people to operate devices like phones and computers using their thoughts. Its creator, tech mogul Elon Musk, describes it as a “Fitbit in your skull with tiny wires.” Elon Musk's brain implant company Neuralink said recently that 12 people worldwide have received its chips. The device is meant to have several applications, from restoring motor functionality within people to enabling a brain-computer interface. The question now is whether it will be able to reverse paralysis in the future or not.

Neuralink: What Is Neuralink, And What Does It Do?

Neuralink is a neurotechnology company Musk set up in 2016. The device is roughly the size of a coin and is implanted into the skull, with hair-thin threads placed inside specific parts of the brain to form a working brain-computer interface.

The implant records brain signals and transfers them to an external device, such as a smartphone, through Bluetooth. Its first product, Telepathy, is designed to let a person operate their phone or computer through intention alone. By placing the chip in regions that manage movement, Neuralink believes it could help people living with neurological conditions. Musk has said that early users would likely be people who cannot use their limbs.

Neuralink: What Testing Has Neuralink Carried Out In The Past?

As per Reuters, the company has run trials using monkeys and pigs. Demonstrations have featured monkeys moving a cursor or playing simple on-screen games using the implant. Neuralink maintains that no monkey died because of the device itself, though reports have circulated describing complications in some animals, including paralysis, seizures and swelling in the brain.

Neuralink: Can Neuralink Cure Paralysis?

The human brain contains millions of neurons responsible for movement, emotion and thought. These neurons send electrical signals down pathways that run from the brain to the rest of the body. If a person tries to stand up, the brain sends electrical instructions to the legs, and the reaction is instant. Paralysis develops when pathways in the spinal cord are damaged or blocked, according to the description on Neuralink’s website.

Because the Neuralink implant reads the brain’s signals, it can forward those signals to the limbs even when the spinal cord no longer relays them. This would require one implant in the brain and another placed below the injured area of the spinal cord. With steady training, a person could regain movement, raising the possibility that Neuralink may one day help restore mobility.

Neuralink Ethical Concerns

Experts have questioned the company’s experiments on animals and the general risks linked to brain operations, which can include seizures or bleeding. They have also pointed to worries about data privacy and long-term surveillance, since there is limited detail on how much control users will have over their neural information.

Earlier this year, the US Department of Transportation fined the company for failing to register as a carrier of hazardous biological material, including implants removed from primates, according to agency records reviewed by Reuters.

Neuralink Is FDA Approved

In late May 2023, the FDA granted Neuralink permission to start human testing. The company said on Twitter that the approval marked the beginning of its first clinical study in people, calling it a vital step toward making the technology accessible in the future.

Neuralink has continued to share updates, and in July 2025, it announced that it had completed two brain-implant procedures on the same day. Both individuals are said to be recovering well. Musk responded soon after, expressing confidence in what the technology might achieve in the coming years.

A newly mutated version of the familiar flu virus, Influenza H3N2, known as subclade K, is moving quickly across the northern hemisphere. This rise has raised concerns that the United States may be facing a tougher flu season. This specific offshoot of influenza has become the leading strain in several countries, including the US, Japan, the UK and Canada.

In the Southern Hemisphere, H1N1 led most of the flu activity this year, and H3N2 subclade K only began to spread near the end. Early figures from the UK and Japan show that about 90 percent of flu samples were linked to H3N2 subclade K, according to a report from the University of Minnesota. With a fresh variant circulating and fewer Americans choosing to get vaccinated, the coming months could be quite challenging.

Where Has The H3N2 Subclade K Strain Been Detected?

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reports that this strain has appeared across all continents and makes up roughly one third of all A (H3N2) sequences submitted to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data between May and November 2025 worldwide, and nearly half in the European Union. The agency notes that clear data on how well the current vaccine performs in real-world conditions remains limited. Even so, existing vaccines are still expected to help protect against serious illness.

The possibility of a flu season led mainly by H3N2 subclade K is considered moderate, based on the agency’s assessment. The threat is higher for people more likely to develop severe outcomes, including adults over 65, individuals with metabolic, lung, heart, neuromuscular or other long-term medical conditions, pregnant people and those with weakened immune systems.

H3N2 Subclade K Strain: Symptoms To Watch For

The symptoms linked to H3N2 mirror those seen with most influenza viruses and include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Fatigue
• Muscle aches and chills

This strain may, however, push fevers higher and increase the chances of complications.

Will the New Flu Strain Make for a More Severe Flu Season?

It remains unclear how flu activity will evolve in the United States, and specialists say delays in reliable information have made it trickier to monitor patterns. During the 44-day government shutdown, the CDC paused all updates on respiratory illness. In the most recent “FluView” report for the week ending Nov. 15, national flu activity stayed low, though numbers are climbing, particularly in children. Test positivity and hospital admissions are also going up.

What To Know About The Flu Vaccine?

The CDC advises that everyone aged 6 months and older, with very few exceptions, should get their flu shot.

Still, despite this guidance, fewer people seem to be getting vaccinated each year. CDC figures show that flu vaccine distribution has steadily fallen since the 2021–22 season.

Is the Flu Shot Effective Against the New Strain?

Scientists select the strains for each year’s vaccine based on the viruses circulating globally early in the year, Hopkins explains. The 2025–2026 vaccine includes H1N1, H3N2 and influenza B.

Because the mutated subclade K appeared too late in the cycle, researchers could not adjust this season’s formula. It is not an exact match for the chosen H3N2 strain, but experts stress that the vaccine will still provide valuable protection during the season.

A flu shot does not always stop infection, but it does lower the chances of developing serious illness, needing hospital care or facing life-threatening complications. “The goal of vaccines is to reduce the severity of illness, and reduce the disease impact on our population,” Hopkins says.

This year’s vaccine is also expected to be a strong fit for the H1N1 and influenza B strains that are circulating, Hopkins adds. “You’ll get the protection against two other strains of flu, even if H3N2 isn’t optimal,” Pekosz notes.

As flu activity intensifies, getting vaccinated remains one of the simplest ways to build protection, even against the mutated strain, as doctors continue to underline.