Do common cold symptoms feel worse now that the COVID-19 pandemic is over?

Getting back to normal in a post-pandemic world brought back a sense of normalcy for many, but not every experience has been a positive one.

With practices like mask-wearing and social distancing becoming a thing of the past, it only makes sense that illnesses those preventative measures were hindering, like the common cold for example, would now start becoming more common.

But after going longer than usual without feeling any illness symptoms, could they be more severe than before?

According to ABC News, some people are reporting feeling more extreme symptoms, but there isn’t any actual evidence suggesting that’s actually what’s happening.

The report suggests that people have simply forgotten what it feels like to be sick, and as such, it feels much worse.

As for an increase in illnesses now that people are socializing more, there are multiple variables at play.

Per the report, while more socializing means more interactions with others, it’s likely those others have also had a limited exposure to viruses during the pandemic.