Doctors are beginning to notice Covid-19 cases that look more like a very bad cold, especially in areas of the country where the highly contagious delta variant is quickly spreading.

While shortness of breath and other lung issues remain among the most worrisome Covid-19 symptoms, it appears upper respiratory complaints — marked by congestion, a runny nose and headache — may be increasing.

"We've seen a number of folks with cold-like symptoms," said Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr., an internist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.

The potential shift in symptoms is not to say that the illness should be brushed off as just a cold. Respiratory droplets emitted from coughs and sneezes can infect other, more vulnerable, people. And cases that start off mild can worsen and become more serious.

"Covid can present in different ways," said Dr. Russell Vinik, chief medical operations officer at the University of Utah Health in Salt Lake City. "If you think you have a cold, you're infectious, and whether that's Covid or a cold, you should consider getting a test."

Vinik has also seen more people coming in with cold-like symptoms. And previously typical Covid-19 symptoms such as loss of taste and smell are not as commonly reported anymore, he said.