COVID-19 cases rising in Pa. but hospitalizations, deaths remain low – PennLive

Count Pennsylvania among the states tracking an increase in COVID cases, but because of high vaccination rates, hospitalizations and deaths from the infection remain low.

Thats according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, which shows the annual summer surge in infection rates.

As of June, the CDC estimates that COVID-19 infections are growing or likely growing in 44 states, including Pennsylvania. Infection rates are declining or likely declining only in Hawaii; and are stable or uncertain in five states.

While COVID-19 cases are no longer required to be reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the CDC provides information regarding positive infection tests among other data points on its COVID Data Tracker.

It is not unusual for there to be fluctuations in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths over time in Pennsylvania and across the nation, but due to effective vaccinations and treatments, as well as the evolution of the virus, COVID-19 has become a much less severe illness for most of the population and the number of hospitalizations and deaths have dropped dramatically since the height of the pandemic, department officials said in an email to PennLive.

According to CDC data, Pennsylvania had approximately 1,600 COVID hospitalization cases heading into January, the peak in about eight months. As of July, hospitalizations due to COVID numbered less than 200.

Its important to note that data collected after May 1 was done so on a voluntary basis to the CDC. Mandatory reporting ended on April 30.

CDC guidance notes that people ages 65 years and older should receive one additional dose of any updated COVID-19 vaccine at least four months following the previous dose.

For people 75 or older who have had the primary vaccination course, the recommended booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine should be every 6 months. For people 18 74 who are severely immunocompromised, the recommended booster doses is every 12 months.

The Health Department recommends that Pennsylvania residents stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations and continue fundamental health and hygiene practices, like handwashing, staying home when sick, and avoiding contact with people who have suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

The department also recommends taking COVID tests if you think you might have COVID-19 and seeking treatment to reduce the chances of being hospitalized, department officials said.

The state health department provides a variety of data points, including emergency department visits, which are available on its Respiratory Virus Dashboard.

According to the latest CDC data, nationwide hospitalizations and deaths as a result of COVID remain low. Wastewater surveillance, a reliable way to track infection rates, shows COVID levels rising in the Midwest, Northeast and South.

Moreover, a new Johns Hopkins Medicine study finds that regular booster doses of a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine can help people who are the most susceptible to the damaging effects of the coronavirus fight the virus.

The study, published Tuesday in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, finds enhanced immunity to a variety of COVID strains among organ transplant recipients who have repeated boosters of a messenger RNA bivalent vaccine. The Baltimore Sun reported on the study results.

Updated COVID vaccines have led to better protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death, as reported by Yale Medicine. The updated vaccines target XBB.1.5, a subvariant of Omicron, which surged across the country and the world from November 2021 until last year.

According to the CDC, the updated vaccines should also work against currently circulating variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus; and JN.1, the current dominant strain in the U.S, Yale Medicine reports.

In general, COVID has more recently led to mild illness, although infectious disease specialists warn that the disease can still lead to hospitalization and death.

The CDC notes that updated vaccines are not expected to prevent all cases of COVID, but rather reduce severe illness, hospitalization, and death from infection.

The CDC recommends people aged 12 and older who got Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID vaccines before September 12, 2023, or Novavax vaccine before October 3, 2023, should get 1 updated Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Novavax vaccine.

Wondering if you should be wearing a mask?

Public health experts generally agree that masks provide protection against respiratory viruses, lowering exposure to infections like COVID-19 and the flu, among others.

Masks are strongly recommended:

People who are at higher risk for severe respiratory infections include:

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COVID-19 cases rising in Pa. but hospitalizations, deaths remain low - PennLive