It’s not your imagination, more people are getting COVID again

If not yourself, you probably know someone who has recently had COVID-19. COVID-19 appears to be re-emerging among people who have returned from travel or attended social gatherings.

That’s true. COVID-19 Unofficially, “FritsCOVID levels in wastewater in Eastern Massachusetts remain low, but There was a slight increase Early July.

Boston.com spoke with two experts to find out what’s going on and how you can best protect yourself from contracting the disease.

Are COVID-19 cases currently on the rise?

The short answer is yes.

Thursday, Massachusetts Department of Public Health Between June 23 and June 29, 1,481 new COVID-19 cases and six deaths were reported, a 13% increase from the previous week.

Dr. Sabrina Assoumou of Boston Medical Center says there has been an increase in SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in wastewater over the past few weeks.

Because many people have stopped testing or are using take-home tests that go unreported, officials are relying on sewage levels to gauge the spread of the disease in communities.

“This is not 2020,” Asum said. “We are not back to the early days of the pandemic, when hospitals were overwhelmed with the number of critically ill patients… We are not seeing that.”

But the number of people showing up to emergency rooms and urgent care centers with COVID-19 symptoms is on the rise, said Dr. Paul Bidinger, chief preparedness and continuity officer at Massachusetts General Hospital Brigham.

Massachusetts General Hospital’s Brigham Hospital had around 20 to 30 coronavirus hospitalized patients in late spring, Biddinger said. Now, there are nearly 80 hospitalized in the hospital’s 3,300 beds.

However, about three-quarters of those hospitalized were there for other reasons.

There are four patients in the intensive care unit with COVID-19, but Biddinger said they are hospitalized with other illnesses.

“More people are getting sick,” Biddinger said, “but there’s nothing to suggest that it’s any more severe than in previous waves.”

How does the FLiRT variant differ from its predecessor?

Based on the data Assoumm is currently seeing, the FLiRT variant is more contagious and easier to evade immunity than its predecessor, but it doesn’t appear to be associated with more severe disease.

Assoumo said older people and those with underlying health conditions are more likely to be affected by the infection.

Assouham noted that people who die from the disease tend to be over 75 years old.

However, the symptoms remain the same: cough, runny nose, fever, and body aches.

“It’s always possible that one of these variants could cause more severe disease,” Biddinger said. “So far, that hasn’t happened with the new variants.”

“Though it does make people sick, FLiRT generally doesn’t lead to more people being hospitalized,” Biddinger explained.

What precautions should you take?

People who are at higher risk, such as those with underlying medical conditions or older adults, should consider taking extra precautions, such as avoiding crowded places and wearing a mask.

Biddinger said the most important thing is to not go out in public if you’re feeling sick.

“We don’t want anyone to get sick, especially vulnerable people.”

Assoumo said ventilation and filtration work, so if large gatherings are to take place, they should be held outdoors, where infection rates will decrease.

Biddinger urged people to get tested if they have a fever or cough. If they test positive, CDC guidelines for I will be wearing a mask for five days to keep everyone safe.

Assoumo says people should talk to their health care provider about taking antiviral medication. Pax Boyd If you do get sick, treatment should begin within 5 to 7 days of symptoms starting, so don’t delay.

“It’s a wonderful drug,” Assoumou said. “Don’t hesitate to use it.”

Both Bidinger and Assoumo recommend getting vaccinated.

When should I get my next vaccination?

With COVID-19 cases on the rise, many people are wondering whether they should now get their booster shot again, but that’s a personal decision that depends on when their last booster shot was and other risk factors.

The CDC said a vaccine with an improved formulation to better match the variants will be available to the public in the fall, so it may be easier to wait and get both the booster shot and your flu shot at the same time.

“We know that the efficacy of the vaccine weakens over time, so people who are at high risk should talk to their doctor,” Bidinger said. “It may be best to follow the CDC recommendations and get vaccinated regularly and not wait until the fall.”

Why is this surge happening now?

According to Assoumou, the virus has evolved to become more infectious, hot weather has led to more people staying indoors to use air conditioning, and weakened immune systems are also contributing factors.

If you have been infected with COVID-19 or been vaccinated, you have antibodies that are highly protective against infection that last for three to four months, so people who had COVID-19 or were vaccinated last fall or winter have weakened immunity and less protection overall.

“That’s why cases are increasing,” Assoumo said.

But this is not our first COVID-19 crisis.

“There are a lot of tools out there,” Assoumo says. “Use them.”

Biddinger said most previous surges of infections took about six weeks to peak and lasted about 12 weeks, and he expects this latest surge to follow a similar course.

Biddinger said he expects the surge to continue for the next few weeks, but likely not through the summer.

“It’s very likely that for the foreseeable future we will see increased numbers of cases, not just during the winter months but periodically throughout the year,” Biddenger said. “People need to be mindful of how much virus is in their communities and adjust their behavior, especially if they are at higher risk.”