Across the US, people are reporting a brutal sore throat that feels far worse than a typical winter cold. The illness brings sharp pain when swallowing, heavy mucus, exhaustion and recovery times stretching into weeks. Online, it has been nicknamed 'COVID 2.0', yet doctors say this surge is driven by a different virus that thrives in ways many people underestimate.
Hospitals and clinics are seeing a spike in patients who say they have not felt this unwell since the early days of the pandemic. According to infectious disease specialists interviewed by Philadelphia Magazine, most cases are linked to adenovirus rather than COVID or influenza.
