There may be an increase in COVID cases this summer. Experts say this is why many shouldn’t be concerned

As the United States heads into the summer season, early indicators show the country is likely to experience an increase in COVID-19 infections.

For the week ending June 8, the latest date for which data is available, COVID test positivity was 5.4% across the U.S., an increase of 0.8% from the previous week, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In the Western region — which is comprised of Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada — COVID test positivity was 12.8%, higher than any other region of the U.S. The New England region — made up of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont — had the next highest test positivity rate at 5.4%, matching the national rate.

Wastewater data from the CDC shows that although viral activity levels are still low nationally, levels have more than doubled in the western U.S. over the last month.

Additionally, COVID emergency department visits for the week ending June 8 rose 12.6% from the week prior, according to CDC data.

PHOTO: Illustration

COVID viral activity levels in wastewater

ABC News, CDC

Traditionally, the U.S. has seen increases in COVID every summer, typically after the Fourth of July, but public health experts said Americans will likely see a “drift upwards” rather than a surge. They added that the average person will be able to safely navigate a rise in cases but that high-risk individuals who could develop serious illness need to be remain on alert and be careful.

“To put it proportionally to like where we were in many winters, we are at a very, very low rate of COVID, compared to some of our peaks,” Dr. Cameron Wolfe, a professor of medicine in the infectious diseases division at Duke University, told ABC News. “Like compared to early 2022, for example, when omicron first emerged, this is night and day different. But … there’s just this little drift upwards, perhaps in the last few weeks.”

Increases have been seen in several states, most notably on the West Coast. In Los Angeles, the county’s Department of Public Health reported an average of 121 cases on June 13, up from a daily average of 106 instances one week prior.

However, experts said a combination of us learning how to better manage the virus and having high levels of immunity means COVID will not be a major threat to the average person.

“Our bodies have learned how to manage the virus over the last four years, meaning that many people have had successive waves of infection, many people have had initial vaccinations,” Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News. “So that combined immunity gives a big force field that can help protect us during the summer. … Although most people will be fine, there are still some people that are going to get very sick.”

As of Tuesday, hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S. remain stable. For the week ending May 18, the last week of complete data, there were 311 deaths due to COVID, which is the lowest death figure recorded in the U.S. since the beginning of the pandemic.

Chin-Hong said most hospitalizations and deaths are occurring among high-risk groups, including elderly individuals aged 75 and older and people who are immunocompromised, such as those who have undergone organ transplants or are on medications that suppress the immune system.

He recommends the average person track COVID wastewater data from the CDC to see if it’s trending upwards in their area and to keep masks and COVID rapid tests handy in case they need them, but he added that an increase in COVID should not be cause for fear.

“I think there’s a fine balance between ignoring everything and being scared by everything,” Chin-Hong said. “It’s like when you’re crossing the street. You never just run across a busy road; you always look both ways, but it doesn’t mean you don’t go to the next destination. So, I think in the new… phase of COVID, that’s the way we should think about it.”

PHOTO: A covid test is seen in Williamsburg, Va., March 18, 2024.

A covid test is seen in Williamsburg, Va., March 18, 2024.

Newsbase/AP, FILE

Similarly, Wolfe said people should assess their individual risk and take more precautions if they will be around high-risk individuals such as senior citizens or sick patients. He also recommended getting the newest updated COVID vaccine that will likely be rolled out in late September.

“Very much in the same way that flu vaccines are tailored each year to adapt to the strains that we see, the same is occurring with COVID,” Wolfe said. “And I think for someone who might be themselves or someone in their family or close contact known to be high risk I’m going to be still actively encouraging those people to get vaccinated.”

Source link

Visited 2 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

The trajectory of the US-China competition under Trump 2.0

While United States (US) President Donald Trump’s policies under his second term have shocked and shaken the world, and emerging contours of a new world order under the leadership of the US look starkly different from what existed until now, there still remains one common theme. The US-China competition, as seen under Trump 1.0, followed

Hong Kong’s Swire Pacific profit slides on property slump, Cathay stabilises

Hong Kong’s Swire Pacific profit slides on property slump, Cathay stabilises

Swire Pacific, which controls Hong Kong’s flagship airline Cathay Pacific, reported an 85 per cent slump in earnings last year amid losses in the property business and the sale of its Coca-Cola franchise in the US. Profit fell to HK$4.32 billion (US$556 million) from HK$28.9 billion in 2023, the group said in a stock exchange

Equities Extend Losses on Tariff Fears, But Forex Markets Hold Steady in Consolidation

US stock markets suffered another brutal session overnight, with NASDAQ leading the decline, shedding nearly -2%. All three major indexes closed below their respective 55 W EMAs, reinforcing the bearish case that the markets are now in a medium-term correction phase. This technical breakdown suggests that downside momentum is gaining traction, with investors recalibrating their

Where EU tariffs will hit hardest

Mark Makela | Getty Images News | Getty Images The recent data on tariffs and consumer decision-making is clear: raise prices on a product due to higher import taxes, and consumers will turn to a cheaper alternative. That doesn’t bode well for certain U.S. products, and the states where they are produced, as the U.S.

Hong Kong arrivals rise 7% to 8.4 million in first 2 months of 2025

Hong Kong arrivals rise 7% to 8.4 million in first 2 months of 2025

Hong Kong welcomed 8.4 million visitors in the first two months of the year, a 7 per cent increase over the same period in 2024, the Tourism Board said on Friday. Provisional figures showed that growth momentum among non-mainland Chinese markets prevailed, with the number of arrivals from those destinations surging by 20 per cent.

Which government offices DOGE wants to close this year and when

The General Services Administration, working with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, has notified landlords that federal agencies will be terminating hundreds of leases for offices and buildings in the coming months. A GSA planning document dated March 10 lists the dates when many of the cancellations are expected to go into effect. That does

Duterte's first ICC appearance set for Friday

Duterte’s first ICC appearance set for Friday | World News

Rodrigo Duterte’s first appearance at the International Criminal Court has been set for Friday, the court said, as the former Philippines president faces crimes against humanity charges over his deadly war on drugs. Duterte’s first ICC appearance set for Friday “The Chamber considers it appropriate for the first appearance of Mr Duterte to take place

Nuclear physicist Liu Chang, who is conducting research that is considered crucial to achieving viable nuclear fusion energy, has left Princeton University for a position at Peking University in Beijing. Photo: Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL)

China-Europe rail link woes, Trump’s unlikely online star: SCMP’s 7 highlights

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. ‘Big impact’: Russian goods seizures cause havoc on China-Europe rail

is a US recession inevitable?

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free Your guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the world As Donald Trump’s tariffs begin to sow the seeds of market uncertainty, fears of a US recession are growing. Both the S&P 500 and the tech-focused Nasdaq Composite reached recent lows this week

BBC investigates allegations of a massacre

BBC investigates allegations of a massacre

Orla Guerin BBC News, Goma Freddy Mukuza / Facebook Rapper Freddy Mukuza, who was married with two children, was moving house on the day he was killed Freddy Mukuza’s final moments were witnessed by a friend, who stood helpless, 50m (160 ft) away. When he heard that Freddy had been shot – by M23 rebels

Humidity takes visibility under 3km as Hong Kong braces for cold snap

Humidity takes visibility under 3km as Hong Kong braces for cold snap

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Visibility in Hong Kong is expected to be low on Friday and Saturday under the influence of a humid easterly airstream, as

Who Is Chrishell Stause’s Partner? Relationship, Age, Job, Kids Explained

Chrishell Stause is widely known for appearing in Days of Our Lives and Selling Sunset. While her career as an actress and real estate agent is well-documented, the limelight is now on her personal life. Many fans wish to find out who is Chrishell Stause’s partner and what they do for a living. So, here’s

Putin’s stalling on the US plan for Ukraine looks like an attempt to play Trump

CNN  —  President Donald Trump rarely stops bragging about his “great relationship” with Vladimir Putin. A skeptical world will soon find out whether the supposed mind-meld counts for anything. The Russian president, author of an unprovoked and brutal invasion of Ukraine, responded in time-honored Moscow fashion Thursday to the US plan for an immediate ceasefire

Syria gets temporary constitution for five-year transition

Syria gets temporary constitution for five-year transition

Reuters Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said he hoped the move would be the start of “a new history for Syria” Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has signed a constitutional declaration covering a five-year transitional period, three months after his Islamist group led the rebel offensive that overthrew Bashar al-Assad. The document says Islam is the

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x