COVID statistics are rising during these hot months, but doctors suggest that it is only a cause of concern for a select few
COVID cases have been reported to be on the rise this summer, even though the WHO declared an end to the public health emergency just a few months prior on May 11, 2023. "There has been an increase in cases anecdotally and over much of the United States," Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, tells TODAY.com. An increase in emergency room (ER) visits and hospital admissions had been observed. When did this happen? Why is it happening? And should it be a cause for concern?
Starting in early July, US hospital admissions attributable to COVID-19 increased by 10.3% and the percentage of diagnosed people after an ER visit increased by 28%. Other countries like Japan and China have also seen a substantial increase starting from late Spring of 2023. Despite this, the summer wave of COVID-19 does not appear to be the emergence of another variant. As reported by the CDC, the Omicron strain, which first appeared in late 2021, is the parent strain of all current variations.
However, this surge is not out of the blue. Summer increases in COVID cases have been seen before, Dr. Leana Wen, CNN Medical Analyst, explains, “Some of this may be due to the cyclical nature of the coronavirus — we’ve seen an increase in cases, followed by a relatively quieter period, followed by another increase.” Specifically, this could be due to the assemblage of people in close indoor spaces during the summer, assisting the spread of the disease.
As previous COVID precautions stated, people with higher risks like, “older individuals and patients with underlying medical conditions such as chronic lung, kidney and heart problems, “should take extra precautions during this period and recurring summers in the future. These people should make sure that they are up-to-date with their boosters, Wen says. While a nationwide mask mandate should not be expected to return, people with a high risk of infection are advised to wear a mask in closed-air spaces and opt for outdoor get-togethers.
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