The new COVID-19 variants, including the prominent strains such as LP.8.1, XEC, and the "Stratus" variant XFG, typically cause symptoms that appear between 2 to 14 days after exposure and last up to two weeks. For most people with mild to moderate illness, COVID symptoms generally last 7 to 10 days. Infectiousness usually spans from 48 hours before symptom onset to about 10 days after. The new variants do not appear to cause more severe illness than previous strains, and symptoms tend to be similar across variants. Vaccination and prior immunity help reduce symptom severity and duration. People are usually considered non-contagious after symptoms improve and they have been fever-free for 24 hours, though wearing a mask for up to 5 days post-infection is a cautious approach. In summary, the new COVID variants' symptomatic period commonly lasts about one to two weeks, with contagiousness typically ending within 10 days after symptoms start, depending on individual cases and severity.