Category: Corona Virus Vaccine

If it seems like many people around you are getting COVID-19, youre not alone.

Federal data show coronavirus levels in Californias wastewater are surging to levels not seen in summertime since 2022, indicating a wide and worsening spread of COVID.

We are seeing ... a definite, definite surge, said Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious disease at Kaiser Permanente Southern California.

The surge is clearly apparent in doctors offices and clinics where people are seeking outpatient treatment, Hudson said. But, thankfully, not many people are having to be hospitalized because of COVID-19 at this point.

The wastewater numbers are still headed up. So were definitely seeing more and more cases, Hudson said.

She urged people to test for COVID-19 if they have respiratory symptoms.

If you have cough-and-cold symptoms, at this point, living in Los Angeles, you should really think that they are COVID until proven otherwise, she said.

This latest surge is being fueled in large part by the FLiRT variants a collection of highly transmissible sibling strains that have out-muscled last winters dominant strain, JN.1.

In particular, one of the FLiRT strains, known as KP.3.1.1, has really taken off, Hudson said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that that strain accounted for 17.7% of coronavirus samples nationwide for the two-week period that ended July 20, up from 6.8% for the prior comparable period.

At that rate of growth, that strain is likely to become increasingly dominant in the next few weeks, Hudson said. So, unfortunately, I think we are going to see a lot more cases.

Coronavirus levels in California sewage are considered very high for a third consecutive week, the CDC said Friday. Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia home to nearly 3 in 4 Americans have either high or very high coronavirus levels in wastewater.

For the seven-day period that ended July 20, the most recent data available, coronavirus levels in California wastewater were at 93% of the peak from the summer of 2022. Theyve already exceeded last summers height.

And there are indications that this summers COVID-19 wave might have some staying power. Coronavirus levels in California wastewater have been high or very high for seven straight weeks, with no sign of cresting. The wave from the summer of 2022 played out over 16 weeks during which viral levels were high or very high, and last summers wave lasted eight weeks.

The proliferation of the FLiRT variants may lengthen this summers surge, experts say, since they show a particular knack for immune evasion.

It does seem like we are spitting out more and more variants a lot more quickly, and thats probably to be expected, Hudson said. This virus is still very, very new to humans, and the virus wants to live, and the way that it lives is by evading immunity circumventing peoples defenses by evolving in a way to keep the chain of infection going.

Also, things are pretty much back to normal, Hudson said, with many people abandoning their once-cautious pandemic behaviors.

Even at the Olympics in Paris, COVID-19 is now treated like any other respiratory illness. The protocol among infected athletes is if theyre feeling well enough to train to have them wear masks, isolate when theyre not training and avoid certain communal areas such as the gym.

Regions across California are reporting high coronavirus levels in sewage. In the San Francisco Bay Area, San Jos and Palo Alto have generally had high coronavirus levels since the end of May. Fresno County health officials said last week that coronavirus levels were high across the San Joaquin Valley.

The rate at which Californias COVID-19 tests are turning up positive has now exceeded last summers peak. For the seven-day period that ended July 22, 13.8% of coronavirus tests came back positive. That exceeds last summers maximum of 13.1%.

Anecdotally, there are many reports of people getting COVID-19 from events including weddings, work meetings and flights, causing symptoms strong enough to make them miserable for days. Some have been surprised by nastier symptoms this time around compared with earlier bouts of COVID-19, although there are no indications that the latest subvariants result in more severe illness overall.

Those who are older or immunocompromised remain at highest risk.

Hundreds of COVID-19 deaths are still reported nationally every week. Among those who have recently died of complications from COVID-19 and pneumonia was the journalist Dan Collins, 80, who co-wrote Grand Illusion: The Untold Story of Rudy Giuliani and 9/11.

His wife, New York Times columnist Gail Collins, wrote that she and her husband both got COVID-19. It felt like a bad cold on my end, but Dan woke up one night unable to breathe at all. We went to the closest hospitals intensive care unit, and he never recovered, she wrote.

Overall, deaths and hospitalizations from COVID appear to be lower than those last summer.

In Los Angeles County, the nations most populous, there were an average of 286 COVID-19-positive people in hospitals for the week that ended July 20. Thats flat from the prior weeks figure of 291, and about half as many as last summers peak and one-quarter as many as the peak of summer 2022.

At UC San Francisco, COVID-19 hospitalizations seem to have stabilized, but theres a lot of COVID outside the hospital. Almost everybody has it: Theres been outbreaks at, you know, music gatherings and peoples dinners, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases expert there.

There may be several reasons behind the initial signs of hospitalizations stabilizing, Chin-Hong said. In general, population immunity against COVID-19 is higher. Also, its possible that the introduction of COVID-19 antiviral pills such as Paxlovid and its widespread availability may be keeping at-risk people from the hospital.

But with COVID-19 infections growing or likely growing in 35 states, as well as the nations capital, Chin-Hong suggested that higher-risk people who arent up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccine should get it now, and not wait until the updated autumn version becomes available.

Everyone age 6 months and above should have received an updated COVID-19 vaccination starting in September, according to CDC guidelines. Those 65 and older should have received a second vaccination dose four months after their first updated dose. Many seniors, however, havent had even a single updated dose.

Immunocompromised people should have received one or two doses of the updated vaccine since September, and may get additional vaccine doses two months after their last recommended dose.

Its not showing any signs that its going down, Chin-Hong said of the COVID-19 wave. Its a good idea for those who are older or immune-compromised to still get it right now. Because by now, I would have thought that COVID would be plateauing and going down, but it doesnt seem that way probably, because the rest of the country has caught up with states such as California.

In only one state, Hawaii, did the CDC estimate that COVID-19 is likely to be declining.

By a number of metrics, COVID-19 indicators are continuing to rise in L.A. County. For the week that ended July 21, L.A. County reported an average of 413 cases a day, up from 359 the prior week. Officially reported cases are considered an undercount, as they dont account for at-home tests or the fact that fewer people are testing in general, but the figures are still helpful in understanding transmission trends.

Coronavirus levels in L.A. County wastewater were at 40% of last winters peak over the 10-day period that ended July 13. Thats up from 36% for the 10-day period that ended July 6.

For the weekly period that ended July 21, 3.4% of emergency-room visits in L.A. County were related to the coronavirus. Thats up from 2.8% for the prior week.

Hudson encouraged people to test repeatedly if they have symptoms of COVID-19, even as far as the fifth day after the onset of illness. People who feel sick might test negative over the first or second days of symptoms, but may end up testing positive later on.

Knowing whether you have COVID is important, because if you dont think you have COVID, you may go back to your regular activities you may go to work and not wear a mask. And unfortunately, that is going to be a very easy way to continue to spread COVID, Hudson said.

The CDC urges people to stay home and away from others if theyre sick. People can resume normal activities 24 hours after their symptoms have improved and theyve been fever-free without using medicine such as Tylenol or Advil. But the CDC also advises added precautions for five additional days to avoid infecting others, such as wearing a mask and keeping distance from others.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health suggests that infected people who have symptoms get a negative test result before leaving isolation. The agency also suggests that people who are infected whether or not they have symptoms wear a mask around others for 10 days after they start feeling sick or, if asymptomatic, get their first positive test result. However, they can remove their mask sooner if they have two sequential negative tests at least one day apart.

L.A. County also suggests that those who are infected avoid contact with high-risk people for 10 days after the onset of symptoms or their first positive test result.

If patients recover and then get sick again, they may have COVID rebound and need to isolate.

For people who want to avoid getting COVID-19, wearing a mask in indoor public settings reduces the risk of infection. The strategy can be particularly effective when traveling, such as on a plane. Travel is a very common, common way that we are seeing people get exposed, Hudson said.

Its still wise to take prudent measures to avoid getting COVID-19, including avoiding sick people, doctors say. Each new infection carries the risk of long COVID-19 when someone develops enduring, sometimes punishing symptoms that can persist months or years after an infection.

The risk of getting long COVID-19 has decreased since the start of the pandemic, in part thanks to vaccines. But the risk of getting long COVID-19 still remains significant.

There are still people that do get long COVID, Hudson said. And long COVID is something that we all want to avoid.

Originally posted here:

COVID surging in California, nears two-year summer high. Almost everybody has it - Los Angeles Times

Evidence shows the increase.

FREDERICK, MD (LG) There seems to be an uptick in COVID cases in the state of Maryland. Thats according to Monique Duwell, with the Maryland Health Department. So we have been seeing an uptick in Covid cases in Maryland. Theres several different types of COVID related data that we look at to monitor Covid activities. We are seeing an increase across the board in terms of COVID cases, case rate, hospitalizations, waste water, so there is a lot of evidence that shows that there is an increase of COVID across the state.

Duwell says COVID is not as bad as it was in the past. We dont know the kind of trajectory, in other words, how much of that activity is going to increase, but we will monitor the data closely, she added.

Reseach shows that people with COVID-19 have reported a wide range of symptoms COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, but some people become severely ill. Older adults and people who have certain underlying medical conditions are more likely to get severely ill. Post-COVID conditions can include a wide range of health problems that can last four or more weeks after contracting COVID-19. Even those who do not become severely ill from COVID-19 may experience post-COVID conditions, sometimes referred to as Long COVID.

What we are seeing is that all populations in Maryland continue to be affected with COVID. It isnt necessarily a particular age group, or a geographic region, we are seeing a statewide population, Duwell added.

COVID-19 is spread in three main ways:

COVID-19 vaccines are the best way to prevent serious illness due to COVID-19. The vaccine teaches our immune system how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19.

The COVID virus continues to mutate and shift, and that is quite common for respiratory viruses. Immunity and protection that we have, over time, can wane. And thats why there is a new vaccine in the Fall that we are going to be recommending Marylanders to get that vaccine.

By Loretta Gaines

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Covid 19 Cases on the Rise In Maryland - WFMD

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Julia Wall/AP

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says most people are eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations.

People 5 and older should get one dose of the updated vaccine, regardless of how many and which vaccines they previously received. Children 6 months to 4 years old may need more than one shot, depending on their age and vaccination status, according toCDC recommendations.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine isno longer availablein the U.S.

The CDC recommends that adults 65 and older get a dose of the 2023/2024 vaccine for added protection, as long as it's been at least four months since the last shot.

People with compromised immune systems may receive additional doses, depending on their vaccination history. More information is available at theCDCs website.

Vaccines are administered at retail pharmacies, including Walgreens, Walmart and CVS, clinics and other locations, such as doctors offices. Use the federal governments website Vaccines.gov to search for vaccination sites by ZIP code. Get the same information by texting your ZIP code to 438829 or by calling 800-232-0233. You can check with your primary care physicians office to see if COVID-19 vaccinations are offered. If you are a veteran, the Department of Veterans Affairs offers COVID-19 vaccinations at VA facilities. Sign up online or call 800-827-1000 to make an appointment.

More information about COVID-19 vaccines is available on the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services' COVID-19 website. Or you can call the state's COVID-19 hotline at 800-232-4636.

The federal government no longer covers the cost of the vaccines, but most people with Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance will not have to pay.

Children 18 and younger may qualify to receive no-cost or low-cost vaccines through the Vaccines for Children program.

Its safe and effective to receive an updated Pfizer, Moderna or Novavax vaccine at least two months after your last dose no matter which brand youve received, including Johnson & Johnson.

The updated vaccines only target one strain of the omicron variant, called XBB.1.5, and are recommended by the CDC to protect against more recently circulating strains of the virus. The bivalent boosters, released in 2022, targeted the original strain of the virus and two omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5. The Novavax booster targeted only the original strain of the virus.

Vaccine manufacturers are once again working to update the vaccines for the 2024-2025 respiratory virus season. The redesigned shots, which should be available in the fall, will target a strain of the virus that is causing a significant share of infections this summer.

Some vaccination sites ask for proof of identity or eligibility. Bring a drivers license or other state-issued ID that shows your name, age and state of residency, along with your health insurance card.

The CDC no longer distributes vaccine cards, andthey are not required to receive a vaccine. If youve lost your vaccine card, you can call the site where you were vaccinated to request a new one or a copy of your vaccination record.

Its common to experience mild to moderate side effects after getting vaccinated, such as soreness in the arm, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, nausea, fever or chills but these are temporary and normal signs that your body is building protection, the CDC says.

A small number of vaccine recipients have experienced adverse reactions to the shots.

According to the CDC, it is safe to receive the flu vaccine and updated COVID-19 vaccines simultaneously, although you are a little more likely to experience side effects, such as a headache and fatigue. Adults 75 or older (and those 60 to 74 with certain underlying health conditions) who are encouraged to get the RSV vaccine may receive that at the same time as the others, but some health experts suggestspacing them out. If you had the RSV vaccine last year, you dont need another one this year.

Contact your health care provider for more information.

The U.S. government is no longer distributing COVID-19 vaccines to long-term care facilities. That means that nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other long-term care settings are now responsible for coordinating COVID-19 vaccination programs for their residents and staff. Most long-term care facilities have existing partnerships with local pharmacies or health departments to provide a variety of vaccinations, such as flu vaccines, COVID-19 vaccines and others.

Long-term care facilities that receive Medicare and/or Medicaid dollars are required by federal law to educate residents, their representatives and staff about COVID19 vaccines and offer a COVID19 vaccine to residents, resident representatives and staff.

All vaccines reduce the risk of COVID-19 infections and are highly effective at preventing severe illness and death from the disease. No vaccine is 100 percent effective, and infections can still occur postvaccination.

Be aware that scammers often purport to offer COVID-19 vaccines and treatments and try to charge for them. The AARP Fraud Watch Network is tracking the latest scams.

North Carolina residents who believe theyve encountered a COVID-19 scam can report it to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General by calling 800-447-8477 or by submitting a complaint online.

Editor's note: This guide was last published Oct. 6, 2023, and has been updated with new information.

Natalie Missakian covers federal and state policy and writes AARPs Fighting for You Every Day blog. She previously worked as a reporter for the New Haven Register and daily newspapers in Ohio. She has also written for the AARP Bulletin, the Hartford Business Journal and other publications

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How and Where to Get COVID-19 Vaccines in North Carolina - AARP States

Wastewater data shows an uptick in COVID-19 infections in many parts of the U.S., including Minnesota, this July.

It definitely seems that COVID case counts are rising both nationally and locally, said Dr. Priya Sampathkumar, an internal medicine physician and head of Infection Prevention and Control at Mayo Clinic.

Data from WastewaterSCAN, which has Minnesota data from St. Cloud, Red Wing, Mankato and Rochester, shows a rising level of COVID RNA found in Rochesters wastewater since late June. The amount of virus detected had been low and stable through the early summer. Now, the level detected mirrors the amount of virus found in late January 2024, as a spike of winter cases fell.

That has translated to primary care providers seeing more patients lately with respiratory illness symptoms, Sampathkumar said, although the number of self-reported positive tests has increased. And thoughthe number of people hospitalized with COVID has increased slightly this month, Sampathkumar said, most cases still seem to be relatively mild, probably because of prior immunity either from vaccination or prior COVID illness.

The percentage of visits to local emergency rooms is still declining, however, said Matthew Giljork, an Olmsted County Public Health epidemiologist.

Hospitalizations have not translated to an increase in ICU utilization or deaths so far, Giljork said.

At Olmsted Medical Center, they have not observed an increase in hospitalizations, said Dr. Odette El Helou, an infectious disease physician at OMC.

At the state level, per the Minnesota Department of Healths July 25 update, COVID hospitalization rates increased slightly over the previous week but still remain low.

A summer wave of COVID infections is not necessarily unusual Sampathkumar said it appears that COVID is settling into a seasonal pattern: a peak of cases in the winter, and a smaller peak in the summer.

Other factors, El Helou said, are people traveling more during the summer and therefore being more exposed to the virus and the level of protection from last falls COVID vaccines is beginning to wane.

To avoid getting sick, the same precautions that health professionals have been sharing since the start of the pandemic still work.

Practice good hygiene, wash hands, said El Helou, good ventilation stay outdoors if possible, open the windows of your home if you have other people in.

For vaccinations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month recommended that everyone 6 months and older receive an updated 2024-2025 COVID vaccine this fall alongside the seasonal influenza vaccine.

COVID boosters, we hope, will be available by early September, Sampathkumar said. Everyone should definitely seek out that vaccine and get it. As weve all seen, getting vaccinated may not completely protect you from getting a COVID infection, but its very, very effective at preventing serious illness and preventing deaths.

If you do get sick, get tested early to see if it is COVID, Sampathkumar said, so you can seek treatment like Paxlovid if you are eligible.

We recommend you stay home if you have symptoms and that you wear a mask for at least the time that you have symptoms and potentially for up to five days after your symptoms improve to protect everyone else around you, Sampathkumar said.

Originally Published: July 28, 2024 at 9:16 p.m.

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Cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota are ticking up. Heres what to know - St. Paul Pioneer Press

A possum in the wild. (Joseph Hoyt / Virginia Tech via SWNS)

By Stephen Beech via SWNS

The virus that causes COVID-19 is "widespread" among wildlife, reveals new research.

Six out of 23 common species - including rabbits and bats - showed signs of SARS-CoV-2 infections during an examination of animals in the United States.

Antibodies indicating previous exposure to the virus were also found in five species - with rates of exposure ranging from 40% to 60%, depending on the species.

Genetic tracking of wild animals in Virginia confirmed both the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and the existence of "unique" viral mutations with lineages closely matching variants circulating in humans at the time.

The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, are further evidence of human-to-animal Covid transmission, say scientists.

The study showed that the highest exposure to SARS-CoV-2 was found in animals near hiking trails and high-traffic public areas, suggesting the virus passed from humans to wildlife.

The research team from Virginia Tech says their findings highlight the identification of novel mutations in SARS-CoV-2 in wildlife and the need for broad surveillance.

They warned that the mutations could be more harmful and transmissible, creating further challenges for vaccine development.

But the team stressed, that they found no evidence of the virus being transmitted from animals to humans, and people should not fear any interactions with wildlife.

The researchers tested animals from 23 common species for both active infections and antibodies indicating previous infections.

They found signs of the virus in Eastern cottontail rabbits, deer mice, Virginia opossums, raccoons, groundhogs and Eastern red bats.

The key S-protein acquired at least two mutations, displayed in yellow in this simulation, that provided an evolutionary path for the virus to jump and transmit to other species. The purple part is the receptor thats recognized by the S-protein so the virus can enter. (Carla Finkielstein/Virginia Tech via SWNS)

The virus isolated from one opossum showed viral mutations that were previously unreported - and could potentially impact how the virus affects humans and their immune response.

Professor Carla Finkielstein said: The virus can jump from humans to wildlife when we are in contact with them, like a hitchhiker switching rides to a new, more suitable host.

The goal of the virus is to spread in order to survive.

"The virus aims to infect more humans, but vaccinations protect many humans.

"So, the virus turns to animals, adapting and mutating to thrive in the new hosts.

Covid infections were previously identified in wildlife, primarily in white-tailed deer and feral mink.

The Virginia Tech study significantly expands the number of species examined and the understanding of virus transmission to and among wildlife.

The data suggests exposure to the virus has been "widespread" in wildlife and that areas with high human activity may serve as points of contact for cross-species transmission.

Lab work inside the Virginia Tech Molecular Diagnostics Lab, pictured right: Professor Carla Finkielstein, co-corresponding author of the paper. (Virginia Tech via SWNS)

Professor Joseph Hoyt, of Virginia Tech's College of Science, said: This study was really motivated by seeing a large, important gap in our knowledge about SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a broader wildlife community.

A lot of studies to date have focused on white-tailed deer, while what is happening in much of our common backyard wildlife remains unknown.

Researchers collected 798 nasal and oral swabs across Virginia from animals either live-trapped in the field and released, or being treated by wildlife rehabilitation centers. They also obtained 126 blood samples from six species.

The locations were chosen to compare the presence of the virus in animals in sites with varying levels of human activity, from urban areas to remote wilderness.

The study also identified two mice at the same site on the same day with the exact same variant, indicating they either both got it from the same human, or one infected the other.

Researchers are not certain about the means of transmission from humans to animals.

They say one possibility is wastewater, but the team believes rubbish bins and discarded food are more likely sources.

Study first author Dr. Amanda Goldberg said: I think the big take-home message is the virus is pretty ubiquitous.

We found positives in a large suite of common backyard animals.

The researchers say that while the study focused on Virginia, many of the species that tested positive are also common elsewhere, so it is likely they are being exposed in other areas as well.

Professor Finkielstein said: The virus is indifferent to whether its host walks on two legs or four. Its primary objective is survival.

A raccoon in the wild. (Joseph Hoyt / Virginia Tech via SWNS)

"Mutations that do not confer a survival or replication advantage to the virus will not persist and will eventually disappear."

The team say further research is needed to establish how the virus is transmitted from humans to wildlife, how it might spread within a species, and perhaps from one species to another.

Hoyt said: This study highlights the potentially large host range SARS-CoV-2 can have in nature and really how widespread it might be.

There is a lot of work to be done to understand which species of wildlife, if any, will be important in the long-term maintenance of SARS-CoV-2 in humans.

Finkielstein added: "What weve already learned is that SARS CoV-2 is not only a human problem, and it takes a multidisciplinary team to address its impact on various species and ecosystems effectively.

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Scientists reveal virus that causes COVID-19 widespread among wildlife - Islander News.com

Pfizer/BioNTechs Omicron JN.1-adapted COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for use by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for adults and children from infancy.

Four versions of the adapted Comirnaty JN.1 vaccine have been approved by the UK regulator under the International Recognition Procedure after meeting the standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.

Both the Comirnaty JN.1 30mg dose for injection and in a pre-filled syringe have been approved for use in adults, while 10mg for single-dose vial injection has been approved for use in children aged five to 11 years of age and 3mg for three-dose vial injection has been authorised for infants and children from six months to four years of age.

The vaccine is designed to trigger the production of antibodies and blood cells by the immune system to work against COVID-19, an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, following the recommendation from the World Health Organizations Technical Advisory Group and the European Medicines Agencys (EMA) Emergency Task Force to update COVID-19 vaccines to target the JN.1 variant the most widely circulating variant worldwide, which continues to grow quickly compared to other variants and is either more transmissible or better at evading the immune system.

The approval was based on positive results and real-world evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of the Comirnaty vaccines, which showed that the JN.1-adapted vaccine generated a substantially improved response against several Omicron JN.1 sublineages, including KP.2, KP.3, as well as other currently circulating sublineages, in comparison to the companies Omicron XBB.1.5-adapted monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.

The approval comes after the EMAs human medicine committee recommended the Omicron JN.1-adapted monovalent COVID-19 vaccine for individuals aged six months and older.

Previously, in February, the MHRA approved a change to the licence of the Comirnaty Omicron XBB.1.5-adapted COVID-19 vaccine following approval from the UK regulator in September 2023 for use in individuals aged six months and older.

Additionally, in October 2023, the companies announced positive results from an ongoing phase 1/2 study of their mRNA-based combination vaccine for influenza and COVID-19, as well as outlined plans to enter late-stage development.

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Pfizer/BioNTechs Omicron JN.1-adapted COVID-19 vaccine approved by MHRA - PMLiVE

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What to know about the updated COVID vaccines coming this fall - ABC News

Coronavirus

Data shows overall resistance to masks, but lower Paxlovid prescription and vaccination rates for people of color

Sat 27 Jul 2024 08.00 EDT

Covid is surging across the US, with levels of the virus on track to exceed last summers wave nationally and approaching the peak of last winters wave in the west, according to wastewater data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Yet vaccination and antiviral uptake, plagued by inequitable access, have remained low, and other precautions like mask-wearing are being met with increasing resistance.

A lot of people right now are getting Covid all over the country, said Dr Peter Chin-Hong, professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. There are still hospitalizations, and theres still a few hundred deaths every week in the US and thats a tragedy.

The rise is being driven by a trio of variants, called Flirt because of shared mutations, that seem to be more immune-evasive and transmissible. And much of the US has been locked in heatwaves, with many Americans staying indoors to avoid the heat which can lead to more spread of the virus.

Nationally, emergency room visits for Covid increased by 15.7% in the past week. Rising hospitalization rates are now higher than last summer at this time, although it can be difficult to make comparisons now that significantly fewer hospitals are required to report rates of Covid than in previous years.

Deaths are also increasing after reaching the lowest point of the pandemic. Nearly 400 people died in the week ending 12 June, the last week for which full data was available. Covid remains the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States.

Any hospitalization or death could be completely prevented based on the tools that we have, Chin-Hong said.

Yet compared to other surges, it just feels like a very different time right now, said David Grabowski, professor of healthcare policy at Harvard Medical School. Its pretty rare to go into a building and see people masked even in hospitals and nursing homes.

The summer surge comes as some federal and state policies have pulled away from efforts that can stop the spread of the virus, experts say.

North Carolina recently signed into law restrictions on wearing face masks in public, and officials in New York City and Los Angeles have considered the same.

In May, the CDC loosened its guidelines for Covid isolation, recommending patients stay home until they are fever-free for 24 hours and symptoms are resolving even if theyre still positive for the virus, during which time they are likely contagious.

While the US government once covered the costs of Covid vaccination, those costs shifted to the private market in 2023. A bridge program offering vaccines to uninsured people is ending next month, weeks before the updated booster will be available which will likely exacerbate gaps in access to the lifesaving vaccines.

Only 22.5% of adults and 14.4% of children are up to date on Covid vaccines and the rate is even lower (13.3%) among pregnant people, despite the risks of severe illness, complications and long Covid because of Covid infection during pregnancy.

There are also stark contrasts among Americans of color, where inequities in health access continue to affect vaccination rates. While a quarter of white adults are vaccinated, only 15.6% of Indigenous people and 16.2% of Hispanic adults have gotten the latest booster.

The disparities are quite striking, Chin-Hong said and theyre especially worrisome among older people of color, who have been more at risk throughout the pandemic. There isnt as much attention to making sure that all older populations get vaccinated or understand the power of vaccinations to keep people safe.

Vaccination rates are higher among older adults, who have the highest rates of hospitalization rates and death but those numbers are way too low, said Grabowski. Less than a third of nursing home residents are up to date on their Covid vaccines.

Those numbers really worry me. Its not clear that those residents are going to have the protection that they did earlier in the pandemic, he said.

With nursing homes, I think theres a lot of fatigue around this issue, and I say that both among the staff and the residents, said Grabowski, who wrote recently about the changes needed to make nursing homes safer after the pandemic. I dont think the vigilance we saw early in the pandemic is there today.

Antivirals like Paxlovid have had a similarly unequal rollout. People of color are significantly less likely to be prescribed Paxlovid compared with white patients about 20% to 36% less, according to one study, and 30% to 36%, according to another.

Only 15% of patients at high risk of severe illness take Paxlovid, one pre-print study suggests, despite evidence that it helps reduce the worst outcomes, including death, among vulnerable people.

It doesnt seem like were actually directing resources to the most vulnerable among us, and thats been really disheartening, Grabowski said. Thats a real red flag.

The CDC recently explained that Covid can surge at any time of the year, including summer, unlike viruses such as the flu and RSV that tend to peak in winter.

The agency recommended that everyone above the age of six months receive updated boosters in the fall, and everyone over the age of 65 receive an additional booster at least four months later.

Chin-Hong hopes vaccination rates will rise once again this fall when the new boosters are available and he hopes public attitudes shift to view Covid vaccines as routine as flu shots. Hopefully, in 2025 well have a combo flu and Covid vaccine, he said. That might make it more palatable for people.

As the virus continues circulating, measures beyond vaccines and treatments will also help control the spread particularly in high-risk environments like nursing homes, Grabowski said.

We need to take other steps, whether its testing, personal protective equipment, better air quality, he said. Yet, change has been slow, and some gains made during the pandemic have now seemed to reverse, Grabowski said.

To the extent that we had some planning in place earlier in the pandemic, I think today thats all absent.

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Covid surges in US as unequal access plagues vaccination and treatment rates - The Guardian

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US admitted it spread anti-vax COVID propaganda in Philippines to disparage China - USA TODAY

CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx If youve heard a family member, a friend or even a co-worker mention getting COVID recently, you arent alone. COVID-19 cases are on the rise again nationwide including in the Coastal Bend.

DR. Eric Baggerman, CEO and pediatrician at Amistad Health shared that COVID has a six month cycle. That means that usually there is an increase in cases in the winter and summer.

Baggerman said there could be a few reasons for the spike in cases.

Just like the winter, if people are together more in smaller spaces doing things more or maybe theres more picnics, doing things like that, people might share it more, Baggerman said.

For the past two years or so, the omicron variant of COVID-19 has been the dominant strain. Now, a sub-variant of that variant, called KP.3., is what is causing the rise in cases. Its main characteristic is that its highly infectious.

Jazlyn Vela said she thinks thats the strain her sister caught recently.

My sister she just got over COVID about two days ago. They had it for about two and a half weeks, her, her husband and her kids had it pretty bad, Vela said.

Vela said catching the virus came somewhat of a shock, but not a surprise.

She freaked out again because she didnt expect to get it again, especially because she had her vaccinations. I think it was a big shock to her especially with her kids getting it. Its always scary when your kids get COVID. I think its a very scary situation especially since its an ongoing thing and different strains keep coming out, Vela said.

But Baggerman said the increase in cases isnt as dangerous as when COVID first arrived in 2020.

What weve seen since 2020, its been more of a more normal virus change. Its nothing unlike other viruses, Vela said.

But just because it isnt as dangerous, certain people should still take precautions if they feel they need it.

People who have health problems, people who are over 65, or heart conditions, lung conditions Baggerman said.

COVID positivity rate nationwide is up 12-13% with ER visits being up four percent. Although there is a rise in cases, there is not as many people being hospitalized compared to previous variants.

Baggerman said vaccines significantly reduce the risk of being hospitalized from COVID-19. The latest vaccine, called the 24-25 COVID vaccine, was approved earlier this month. It should be available by September.

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COVID cases on the rise again in the Coastal Bend with new sub-variant - KRIS 6 News Corpus Christi