New Hampshire and the rest of the U.S. are experiencing high levels of COVID-19 as detected through wastewater.State health officials said vaccination is the key to protecting against the illness and other respiratory viruses.”The COVID-19 virus is one that continues to change and evolve over time,” said Dr. Benjamin Chan, the state epidemiologist.Chan noted that New Hampshire and the nation are seeing elevated COVID-19 levels detected through wastewater. It follows a yearly pattern of a summer increase, then a plateau, before jumping up in the winter months.>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play
New Hampshire and the rest of the U.S. are experiencing high levels of COVID-19 as detected through wastewater.
State health officials said vaccination is the key to protecting against the illness and other respiratory viruses.
“The COVID-19 virus is one that continues to change and evolve over time,” said Dr. Benjamin Chan, the state epidemiologist.
Chan noted that New Hampshire and the nation are seeing elevated COVID-19 levels detected through wastewater. It follows a yearly pattern of a summer increase, then a plateau, before jumping up in the winter months.
>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play
Coming just in time is the newest batch of vaccines that protect against the newest variants.
“And the recommendation is still that everybody 6 months of age and older get one of these updated vaccines this season,” Chan said.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 48% of adults have gotten a flu shot in the past year, but only 22.5% got last year’s COVID-19 vaccine. New Hampshire’s vaccination rate tends to be a bit higher than that.
“COVID-19 is still a virus that can cause more severe infection, lead to more hospitalizations, and when people get more severe infection requiring hospitalization, higher risk of death in comparison to influenza,” Chan said.
Chan also notes new guidance on RSV vaccines, with the CDC recommending everyone age 75 and older get the one-and-done dose.
“Levels of RSV and levels of influenza remain low, but we are entering a higher risk period for those viruses in addition to COVID-19, which is at a higher level since, throughout the summer,” Dr. Ben Chan said.
The circulating strains of the virus right now are the KP-2 and KP-3 strains. The updated vaccines that are coming out right now incorporate protections against those strains.
