Many may wonder when COVID cases start to rise this summer. What are my risks and is it time to get another vaccine?
As of July 15th, there is a high possibility that co-morbidity cases are growing or likely to be growing in 27 states, including Texas, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia and Ohio. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Percentage of positive covid tests It’s increasing Over the past few weeks, the CDC has said it is particularly in the southern part of the country.
NB1.8.1 According to the CDC, it is the current dominant variant in the US, accounting for 43% of all new Covid cases. This is a derivative of strain XVD.1.5.1 and is a descendant of the Omicron variant. NB1.8.1 was the cause of a surge in hospitalizations in China earlier this year.
Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, is called the “razor blade throat” because of anecdotal reports that some people get painful throats. However, Schaffner noted that sore throats have been a common symptom of Covid since they first began to spread.
“I don’t think there has been a significant change in the clinical spectrum of Covid,” Schaffner said.
Do you need a Covid booster? When will new vaccines be available?
The rise in cases is likely because many Americans have made it more than a year without Covid shots.
May, Food and Drug Administration I asked drugmakers to update the covid vaccine It is a descendant of Jn.1, another derivative of Omicron, which began to spread widely in 2023 to target Lp.8.1 strains. LP.8.1 currently accounts for 31% of all new cases, according to the CDC.
The new shot will not be available until fall and is expected to be approved only for adults over the age of 65 and with children and adults with medical conditions at risk of at least one disease. Healthy children and adults who want shots may have to find an older version or pay from their pocket. Single dosage is costly Up to $140.
But experts say that immunity in the population may protect many people for now, whether it is due to vaccinations, previous infections, or both.
“There are currently few high levels of immunity in the population, but for a long time there may be low levels of immunity that are sufficient to make the virus a little difficult to easily transmit from person to person.”
Certainly every week Hospitalization rate It suggests that the new variant may not lead to severe illness while remaining low.
The test positivity rate last year was dramatically lower than the current case count. It reached its peak in August 17.9%. The 2025 season still doesn’t rub 5%.
Pekosh said it’s not uncommon for cases to rise over the summer. But he believes that if there are summer cases it will be small.
“The variants have been around for a while and have not caused a huge surge so far,” Pecos said. “Again, if we see the surge, we hope that it will be a low level of surge compared to the previous year.”
Dr. Ofer Levy, director of the Precision Vaccine Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, who advised the FDA, said people at high risk for severe illness might want to consider taking a Covid shot if they can find it.
High-risk groups include:
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People with weakened immune system
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People who are at the root of their health conditions, such as asthma or heart disease
Levi is particularly important to get a shot, and for those who have not had it for more than a year, their immunity is likely to be waning.
“If you’re in a high-risk group and your case is on the rise, I recommend getting your first available reservation and getting a shot to protect yourself,” he said.
High-risk people could consider getting additional Covid shots when the updated vaccine is distributed in the fall, he said.
Covid has two waves a year
Vanderbilt’s Schaffner said people from high-risk groups might want to consider wearing masks during indoor activities such as movies.
Healthy adults and children may be able to wait longer before getting another shot, Levy added.
“If you’re in a lower risk group, that’s where things get blurred,” he said. “If we need a vaccine and our healthcare provider agrees and we can get it.”
Dr. Michael Phillips, an infectious disease doctor at Nyu Langone, said he is primarily immunocompromised patients and believes that older people are tested positive for the virus. For those who have not been filmed for the community for many years, Phillips said he doesn’t think they should still be worried.
“If you’re young and otherwise healthy, I think you’re fine,” Phillips said. “If you have underlying lung disease, if you’re in the age range, it’s time to really talk to your doctor and say, ‘Well, should I get a Covid booster?”
He said the amount of positive covid tests that Nyu Langone saw has fallen by 40% since February.
Fatima Amaka, a senior analyst at Johns Hopkins’ Outbreak Response Innovation Center, said he expects the current wave to peak around September.
Schaffner said he would expect different waves in late autumn and winter.
“[Covid] There are two increases each year,” he said. “Everyone is familiar with the winter increase associated with influenza and RSV.”
This article was originally published nbcnews.com
