Latest COVID-19 strain surges in Lehigh Valley. Experts warn it could be confused with seasonal allergies – The Morning Call

COVID-19 cases have crept up once again in the Lehigh Valley, and the cause this time is the BA.2.12.1 variant.

Dr. Alex Benjamin, Lehigh Valley Health Networks chief infection control and prevention officer, said BA.2.12.1 has been in the region for only weeks, but it didnt take long for it to gain a foothold.

The new variant is a subvariant of the BA.2 variant, which is itself a subvariant of the omicron strain of the coronavirus. Continuing the trend set by previous variants, BA.2.12.1 is the most infectious yet.

Omicron and its variants have been noted for being less likely to result in serious illness and BA.2.12.1 continues this trend, with some of the most common early symptoms including scratchy or sore throat, sneezing or runny nose, easily confused with allergies.

Benjamin said because of this, it is important people dont brush off what might otherwise seem like allergies or a sinus infection, even though the Lehigh Valley is one of the worst places to live in the U.S. for allergy sufferers and those with asthma, according to the annual Asthma Capitals report, published by the nonprofit Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

I think its been really confusing because the air quality has been so bad, Benjamin said. A lot of people attributed their symptoms to allergies and some people did not think to test.

BA.2.12.1 now accounts for the majority of cases nationally and locally, about 60%, and is leading a new surge in cases. The Pennsylvania Department of Health, which had started updating its COVID-19 dashboard on a weekly basis while cases were low, recently resumed updating it daily. New York City is already well into its fifth surge of the pandemic and officials put the city under high COVID-19 alert, according to the New York Times.

There were 1,739 cases reported in Lehigh and Northampton counties in the past seven days. There were an average of 248 cases per day in that time period, down 6.3% from the previous week, but up 130% from where they were.

Hospitalizations are also up compared to where they were a month or so ago. Lehigh Valley totals were 111 COVID-19 positive patients on Thursday, with all seven ICU patients on ventilators. Local hospitalizations are up 7.8% from last week and up 145% from 30 days ago. Lehigh Valley Health Network had 97 COVID-19 patients hospitalized network-wide on Monday when in early April hospitalizations were in the low 20s.

Robert Shipp, vice president for population health and clinical affairs with the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, and a practicing nurse, said on a slightly more positive note, hospitals are seeing proportionally fewer people who need intensive care after being hospitalized for COVID-19.

Thats a good sign, but there are still twice as many people in the hospital and in the ICU as there were as close as a month ago, Shipp said.

He said other good news is that schools will let out soon, creating fewer opportunities for the disease to spread and with warmer weather coming.

Unlike the last COVID-19 surge, at-home tests are not hard to find and getting a lab test doesnt require waiting in long lines or ending up on a waiting list. President Joe Bidens administration last week announced it would allow Americans to order a third round of free COVID-19 tests through the U.S. Postal Service.

And fortunately, there is no evidence that this variant is more likely to evade tests. But Benjamin said it is possible to test too early in a COVID-19 infection, resulting in a false negative. He said during the earliest stages of infection there may not be a large enough concentration of virus throughout the body for tests to detect anything.

The CDC guideline is to test as soon as you find out that youre exposed and for some people, they find out so quickly that they may be testing earlier than the test can capture any virus in your system, Benjamin said. It may take a couple of days for you to have enough virus in your system for a test to turn positive.

He said this is why some people may test negative early on, only to get sick a few days later, retest themselves and find out they actually did have COVID-19.

But testing is as important as ever, especially since infections by BA.2.12.1 are more likely to result in symptoms similar to those associated with seasonal allergies or the common cold.

Benjamin said if test results are negative, he suggests those results be treated with a good deal of suspicion. The CDC recommends retesting five days after the first test, but Benjamin said if even mild symptoms develop before then, it might be a good idea to test sooner.

Besides getting tested when you arent feeling well or have reason to believe you were exposed to COVID-19, experts are also suggesting people start taking personal actions to reduce the risk of catching COVID-19. This includes getting caught up on shots and choosing to mask while indoors.

Though a vaccine still hasnt been approved for the youngest children, as of last week boosters were authorized for use on children ages 5 to 11 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Morning Call reporter Leif Greiss can be reached at 610-679-4028 or lgreiss@mcall.com.

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Latest COVID-19 strain surges in Lehigh Valley. Experts warn it could be confused with seasonal allergies - The Morning Call