For the week ending July 6, positive COVID-19 tests increased by 0. 8 percent, COVID-related emergency room visits increased by more than 23 percent, and hospitalizations increased by just over of thirteen percent.
“We’re seeing an expected summer surge,” says William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease specialist and professor of preventive medicine and fitness policy at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee. “COVID does not pass the summer like the flu does. If we look back at our last two years, we have noticed a build-up in the summer months. It decreases again in the fall, then there is a true seasonal buildup in the winter.
[5]
“COVID numbers tend to rise because of a constellation of factors: more people gather, more people travel, and more people go indoors to escape excessive heat,” says Peter Chin-Hong, MD, an infectious disease specialist. disease specialist and professor at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine.
A new set of variants and waning immunity to vaccines may also contribute to the problem, Chin-Hong adds.
Since COVID-19 swept the world more than four years ago, the virus has mutated rapidly. Many versions of the virus have been able to evade the immune defenses that other people developed after infection or vaccination, although newer versions of COVID-19 have not caused illness as severe as versions seemed at the beginning of the pandemic.
[3]
The highly transmissible LB. 1 variant is very similar to the FLiRT strains, but has an additional mutation. These four main variants are all descriptions of the omicron JN. 1 variant, which now accounts for just over 7% of cases, but accounted for more than a portion of infections until the end of March.
As the virus rapidly evolves, vaccine brands must keep pace and adjust their formulations to make them more effective against circulating strains.
[6]
Dr. Schaffner notes that at this point, it is very unlikely that the fall vaccine could be further tailored to directly combat an emerging variant like LB. 1. “There is a limited time to manufacture those vaccines, bottle them and distribute them. “However, the existing dominant strains are all subvariants of the omicron family, so vaccines opposing the KP strains are expected to provide antibodies that oppose the LB. 1”.
[7]
Given that there has been at least a mini wave of COVID-19 lately, other people would likely be wondering whether to wait for the new vaccines or take more protective measures right away.
For Chin-Hong, the answer is simple: “Have you approved the vaccine approved in the fall of 2023?” Otherwise, you would go on to receive it, especially if you are over 65 years old and immunocompromised,” he says. “People over 65 years of age and older can also get some other vaccine if 4 months have passed since the last one. This will still give you a chance to get the new flu shot in October or November.
[8]
[9]
[Ten]
Treatments such as nirmatrelvir, ritonavir (Paxlovid), and remdesivir (Veklury) have also been shown to be effective in preventing a serious infection.
“Fortunately, hospitals were not hit as in previous years, which is a testament to the collective immunity of the population,” Chin-Hong said. “However, other people are at risk of becoming seriously ill — basically other people over the age of 75. older adults or those who are highly immunocompromised and have not received the newest vaccine or have not received Paxlovid or remdesivir in case of infection. “
[eleven]
Chin-Hong says she’s seeing fewer symptoms that weren’t unusual in 2020, such as difficulty breathing and loss of taste and smell, and that some other people are experiencing nausea and diarrhea, symptoms they might not realize could be similar to those of COVID. -19.
Since the symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to those of allergies (such as hay fever) or colds, doctors warn that the only way to know for sure is to get tested for COVID, especially if you are vulnerable to infection serious illness (e. g. if you are elderly or immunocompromised) and need to avoid serious illness with treatment with Paxlovid. It’s also worth checking to see if you’re spending time with a high-risk user you could infect.
Anecdotally, some other people on social media are reporting on some unpleasant effects of the virus circulating lately. A CNBC commentator recently wrote on X:
“Tested for COVID a few days ago. The first 3 days of symptoms were worse than 2 years ago. A deep, persistent sore throat between them. Thank goodness for Paxlovid. It seems funcionar. Enmascarate. La new variant seems to be having a slight increase in the summer.
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing rules to ensure the accuracy of our content, defined in our editorial policy. We use only trusted sources, aggregating peer-reviewed studies, qualified medical experts, patients with lived experiences, and data from leading institutions.
By subscribing, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.