As summer draws to a close, the United States is facing another surge in COVID-19 infections.
The late summer surge in cases has many Americans wondering how long cases will last, what signs and symptoms to watch for and when the latest vaccines will be available.
How bad will the summer COVID-19 outbreak be?
As of August 16, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has determined that COVID-19 infection is spreading or may be spreading. 27 states.
He said the same thing last week. Wastewater Monitoring COVID-19 case numbers are at “very high” levels and show an overall upward trend since early June.
The doctor Suggested The recent surge in COVID-19 cases could be one of the biggest summer waves of infections since the pandemic began.
The CDC's wastewater tracker rose to 8.86 on Aug. 17, a significant increase from 1.35 in early May. The peak of 9.56 was recorded in July 2022.
Emergency department visits, diagnoses, hospitalizations and deaths have also increased since May. CDC data shows. The hospitalization rate peaked at 4.6 during the week ending Aug. 10, up from 1.1 in early May. The hospitalization rate has since dropped to 3.1 last week, according to the CDC.
Between Aug. 11 and 17, 2.5% of emergency room patients were diagnosed with COVID-19, according to agency data.
Hospitals are no longer required to report COVID-19 hospitalizations, hospital capacity or hospital occupancy data to the federal government, so federal agencies collect limited data.
What are the current COVID-19 variants and symptoms?
The current predominant variant of SARS-CoV-2 is part of a group called “FLiRT” variants that evolved from omicron.
According to Latest Data According to available data, the predominant KP.3.1.1 strain accounted for 36.8% of cases between Aug. 8 and 17, followed by KP.3 at 16.8% and KP.2.3 at 14.4%.
Dr. Otto Yang, vice chief of infectious diseases and professor of medicine at UCLA, He told NPR Earlier this month it was reported that while the variant does not appear to be more deadly, it is “almost certainly more contagious.”
“So if you have a virus that is similarly more deadly and more transmissible, you're going to see more severe illness and deaths,” Yang said.
This summer's COVID variant causes similar symptoms to past Omicron variants, primarily upper respiratory illness symptoms such as fever, chills, cough, runny nose and stuffy nose, the department said. Cedar Sinai.
Medical experts say that although COVID-19 is no longer considered a pandemic, it's unlikely to go away anytime soon.
“The coronavirus is not going away. The coronavirus is probably going to be around forever, and we're going to see two or three waves, typically per year,” said Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, who retired as the White House coronavirus coordinator last year. He told The Washington Post this month.
How can I get the latest COVID vaccine?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week approved improved versions of the COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna that target the KP.2 strain of COVID-19 and are authorized for people aged 12 and older.
Emergency use authorization has been granted to give unvaccinated children between 6 months and 4 years of age three doses of the latest version of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine or two doses of Moderna's vaccine. Children who have been previously vaccinated in the same cohort can receive one or two doses of either latest version of the vaccine.
Children ages 5 to 11 can receive one dose of either renewal vaccine, regardless of their previous vaccination status. If they have been previously vaccinated, the FDA recommends waiting at least two months before getting the renewed vaccine. People who have recently had COVID-19 can delay vaccination for three months. According to the CDC.
The new vaccine is expected to be available at major pharmacy chains such as Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid as soon as this week. According to multiple reports.
Vaccine.gov It will have an updated 2024-2025 COVID vaccine and provide information on where patients can make appointments.
Labor Day Weekend's impact on COVID-19 spread:
The late summer surge comes in the midst of the back-to-school season and Labor Day holiday, when large amounts of travel are expected.
Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional director of infectious diseases for Kaiser Permanente Southern California, told the Los Angeles Times that people should be warned to wear masks when traveling in crowded places.
“If you're traveling and you're indoors with a large group of people, you need to wear a mask to really reduce your risk of becoming COVID positive,” she told the Times, adding, “If you're on a plane or in an airport, you should definitely wear a mask.”
