COVID cases are spiking again in Massachusetts. Here’s why. – CBS Boston

BOSTON - The number of COVID cases is spiking across the country, including here in Massachusetts, and the virus just isn't going away.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 40 states are reporting high COVID activity levels, including most of New England. Emergency room visits are at their highest for the coronavirus since February, and we're definitely seeing an uptick in cases in my urgent care clinic.

Many of you will ask - why now?

The coronavirus continues to mutate in an effort to evade our immune systems, so even if you get infected, after about three months your immunity to the virus begins to fade. That said, people who have some natural immunity from prior infection and those who stay up-to-date with their boosters are much less likely to get severely ill and wind up in the hospital or worse.

So what do you do if you get sick?

Current guidelines are to isolate yourself from others until you are fever-free for at least 24 hours without the help of fever-reducing medications and until your symptoms have improved. But even if you meet those criteria, you should continue to wear a mask for at least another five days to protect others.

People who are at high risk of complications if they get infected should wear a high-quality mask in public to reduce their chances of catching the virus.

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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COVID cases are spiking again in Massachusetts. Here's why. - CBS Boston