June 27, 2024 – Like clockwork, the summer resurgence of COVID-19 is as anticipated as the seasons.
Emergency rooms are seeing a 15% increase in treatment for people with COVID, and hospitalizations for severe cases have increased by as much as 25%. Signs of the virus causing COVID to be found in the country’s wastewater are also trending upward, which also reflects a curve. I noticed last summer.
Reported COVID positive control rates are in the region that includes California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii, where 10% or more of controls test positive. The positivity rate remains below 10% in the rest of the United States, and less than 5% of controls are positive in most of the southeastern United States and along the coast to Pennsylvania.
The numbers are modest compared to last summer’s COVID waves, but the buildup is still gigantic enough to translate into a significant accumulation of risk.
Most US states are recording weekly COVID deaths, but the numbers are significantly lower than the thousands a week at the start of the pandemic. During the week ending June 15, every single US state reported fewer than 10 COVID deaths.
But this disease still poses serious health threats and research continues to show that it is more harmful than the flu. In addition to staying up to date on vaccines, the CDC recommends practicing hygiene, such as washing your hands thoroughly and staying home and away from others if you have symptoms of a respiratory illness. Wearing a mask remains a prevention strategy, the CDC says.
Certain groups of people, such as people who are older or have weakened immune systems, are at risk for severe and even life-threatening COVID cases. That’s why it’s vital to know if you have COVID and stay home, as it can save you from the disease in those most at risk, according to COVID expert Andy Pekosz, PhD, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In-home controls may have different expiration dates than those published on the package. check this FDA database to see if you can still use a check.
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