Is Covid-19 Rising Again? Here's All You Need to Know!

As fall comes near, various signs in the United States indicate towards a rise in COVID. Will the US have to bear the brunt of the pandemic again?

In the last few days, death rates have increased, and hospitalizations are rising. Moreover, the virus has been picked up by wastewater samples. All these signs and more indicate a rise in COVID-19 cases in the last few years.

A professor of epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta stated that each of these signs points towards the fact that COVID-19 transmission rates have increased in the communities.

States are no longer needed to report numbers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and thus it is difficult to track individual cases. However, experts are making use of other methods to track the COVID-19 virus.

For instance, the professor states that the increase in hospitalizations indicates that the COVID-19 disease has gotten severe. 

In late June, the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized hit an all-time low, but then the cases have incessantly risen. Moreover, it is also important to note that COVID-19 testing protocols in hospitals have also changed. During the times when the pandemic was at its peak, every patient coming to the hospital had to go through COVID testing, irrespective of whether they showcased symptoms or not. However, at present, only symptomatic people are being tested at hospitals, making it difficult to draw a comparison between hospitalization numbers at present and the ones recorded during the pandemic. This means that the numbers recorded presently may not be having asymptomatic cases and thus may be lower than the earlier numbers.

A University of California professor of medicine, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong stated that 21 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19 at his hospital system. At the time of the summer, the number of patients was somewhere around 10 to 15. This implies that the numbers have surely increased, but these are nowhere in comparison with the massive number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 last winter.

Since early July, emergency room visits with a diagnosis of COVID-19 in the United States have increased. As per the CDC, the week that ended on August 19 witnessed 2.3 percent of ER visits with a COVID diagnosis. 

Another aspect that indicates an increase in COVID-19 numbers is wastewater samples. 

Wastewater thus shows that there has been an increase in the cases in the communities. This wastewater is being monitored at present.

 The death rates due to COVID-19 have also been on the increase to a slight extent. 

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What subvariants are connected to the situation?

Is the situation connected to the BA.2.86 (Pirola) variant? According to experts, the BA.2.86 variant is not to be blamed. In the United States, a number of variants are circulating at present, the BA.2.86 variant is a rare one. The CDC has stated that the BA.2.86 variant has been found in four states, namely, New York, Virginia, Ohio, and Michigan, as of August 30.

The increase in current COVID cases and hospitalization, instead, is possible because of the XBB subvariants, according to the CDC. Here, the CDC is talking about subvariants like EG.5, the subvariant that was to be blamed for 21.5 percent of new cases in the week ending September 2. The other subvariant to be blamed is FL.1.5.1, which has accounted for 14.5 percent of new cases.

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Protective measures that need to be followed

It is not new for the United States, or perhaps any other country of the world to deal with COVID-19. The precautionary advice remains the same. These include staying aware of the vaccines and getting tested in case symptoms arise. Moreover, it is also advisable to safeguard oneself against symptoms. Proper masking is another precaution that everyone must abide by, especially in crowded situations.

The CDC further advises that by improving ventilation in indoor areas, one can help safeguard against the virus. Therefore, opening windows, making use of air filters, or turning on fans can go a long way.

In the upcoming few weeks, the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration may sign off on novel COVID boosters, targeting XBB variants.

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