COVID-19 in Montana

In 2026, COVID-19 symptoms remain similar to earlier variants and include fever or chills, dry cough, fatigue, sore throat, runny nose, headache, and muscle aches. Many people also experience shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, and gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea or diarrhea. Severity ranges from mild cold-like illness to severe pneumonia requiring hospitalization, with older adults and immunocompromised individuals at highest risk of serious disease.

For most people with mild to moderate illness, COVID-19 symptoms last 5 to 10 days, with the first 3 to 5 days typically being the worst. More severe cases may involve symptoms lasting 2 to 6 weeks or longer. A significant subset of patients develop long COVID, where fatigue, brain fog, and other symptoms persist for weeks or months after the acute infection resolves.

Yes, COVID-19 continues to circulate globally in 2026. SARS-CoV-2 has become endemic, meaning it spreads year-round at baseline levels with periodic surges driven by new variants and waning immunity. Health authorities continue to monitor variant activity, and updated vaccines are formulated annually to target the dominant strains. Check the live outbreak data above for current activity in your region.

COVID-19 and influenza share many symptoms, including fever, cough, fatigue, and body aches, making them difficult to distinguish without a test. Key differences: COVID is more likely to cause loss of taste or smell and has a longer incubation period (2-14 days vs 1-4 days for flu). Flu tends to come on more suddenly and more commonly causes severe muscle pain. The only reliable way to tell the two apart is through a rapid antigen test or PCR test.

SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve in 2026, with new Omicron subvariants being the predominant strains in circulation globally. Health agencies like the WHO and CDC track emerging variants and classify them by their potential impact on transmissibility, severity, and vaccine effectiveness. Updated COVID vaccines are designed each year to match the most prevalent variants. Check the WHO variant tracker or the outbreak data on this page for the latest surveillance information.

Most people with COVID-19 are contagious from about 2 days before symptoms appear through 5 to 10 days after symptom onset. People with mild illness are generally no longer infectious after day 5 if symptoms are improving and they have been fever-free for 24 hours without medication. Those with severe illness or weakened immune systems may remain contagious for longer — in some cases up to 20 days or more. Rapid antigen tests can help determine when you are no longer infectious.