COVID-19 is not gone, and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Centers for Diease Control/CDC) shows that the number of cases continues to increase across the country.
“We’ve seen an increase this summer every summer because COVID-19 has been with us,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician at Johns Hopkins University.
“What’s different about these cases this summer compared to previous summers is that they didn’t put hospitals in crisis.”
Adalja said factors behind the seasonal spike in cases could include increased travel, people staying indoors to escape the summer heat, and the virus’s continued evolution — which can help it evade people’s immune systems.
COVID-19 testing has been sporadic, and the true number of cases is unclear because many infections go unreported. But one way to gauge trends is to look at what percentage of lab tests are coming back positive. By that metric, COVID-19 cases are surging, with nearly 15 percent of tests coming back positive compared to less than 1 percent of flu tests.
However, doctors' offices are not experiencing a large number of visits from patients with respiratory symptoms. The proportion of doctor visits for flu-like symptoms remains low.
While the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 is increasing, it is still below the numbers recorded in the winter – and well below the peaks at the start of the pandemic.
The CDC is also trying to monitor the spread of the coronavirus by looking for it in sewage and other wastewater at participating sites across the country.
Adalja recommends staying up to date with vaccinations and that people at higher risk of serious illness consider wearing masks in crowded indoor gathering areas.
If you do get sick, note that the CDC recommends staying away from others until your symptoms improve and you have been fever-free for 24 hours.
COVID-19 is now “basically part of the human condition,” Adalja said. “It’s unavoidable when you interact with humans.”
COVID-19 is now “basically part of the human condition,” Adalja said. “It’s inevitable when you interact with humans.” (ft)
