COVID cases are rising in Louisiana and across the United States this summer, CDC says – NOLA.com

There has been a resurgence in COVID-19 cases in Louisiana and across the rest of the United States this summer, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control.

While COVID-19 stopped being a public health crisis last year, CDC data shows that there is a pattern of the sickness rising during the summertime.

Specifically, national data since June 2024 shows that there has been a small spike in COVID-19 test positivity and the amount of emergency department visits related to the sickness. Similar to emergency departments, hospitals in western states are experiencing higher rates of visits, with visitors typically being 65 years or older.

Within the last month, the amount of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 has increased by 6.9% in Louisiana and by 7.3% in the country.

The weekly national percentage of emergency department visits related to the illness is 1.3%. Within the last week, there has been a low percentage of emergency department visits related to COVID-19 in Louisiana, meaning 1.6%.

While there are subtle spikes in certain categories, the number of deaths caused by COVID-19 remains low across the United States. During the week of July 6, there were 147 deaths, which is the lowest number of deaths related to COVID-19 that the country has seen within the last four years.

In Louisiana, the number of deaths in the past 3 months was 34.

The FLiRT variants, KP.2 and KP.3, are from the Omicron family and have recently dominated the charts.

Between June 26 and July 8, KP.3 accounts for 24.5% of COVID-19 cases, while KP.2 accounts for 21.5% of the cases. The CDC says that Omicron variants emerged in November of 2021 and continued to produce new lineages that spread on an international level.

While COVID-19 cases have resurged, the flu and RSV remains low.

Various symptoms of COVID-19 appear 2-14 days after exposure, the CDC says.

Possible symptoms include fever or chills, coughing, shortness of breath, sore throat and a new loss of taste or smell. The CDC recommends seeking treatment if you experience symptoms like trouble breathing, continuous pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion and severe fatigue. You can find a list of all common symptoms on the CDC website.

If you are feeling sick, it is recommended that you stay home and away from others.

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COVID cases are rising in Louisiana and across the United States this summer, CDC says - NOLA.com