It looks like COVID-19 is already over with us, as hospitalizations are surging again, the Associated Press reports.
Since early July, the numbers have risen, but not to the point where high alert is required. During the week ending July 29, COVID-19 hospital admissions topped 9,000, up 12% from last week. Until the date of the vaccine on the way, experts say it’s not necessary to be on high alert as the numbers don’t come close to what they were in July 2022: only about 45,000. “It’s speeding up a little bit, but it’s nothing I want to sound the alarm about,” said Dr. David Dowdy, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins.
If you’re wondering what may be causing this sudden spike, fitness officials say the COVID-19 virus in sewage has been on the rise since last June across the country. With the 2023-2024 school year fast approaching, experts are keeping an eye on wastewater levels. Cristin Young, an epidemiologist at Biobot Analytics and a CDC wastewater tracking contractor, says COVID-19 is reaching the highest levels in wastewater concentrations in the Northeast and South. “It’s important that concentrations remain fairly low,” Young said. But with a new variant, omicron EG. 5, moving slowly, the epidemiologist says his radar is in place.
“There are some that we monitor, but we don’t see anything like delta or omicron. “
Some hot spots are on the rise. According to The Hill, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana and many others have noticed a more than 20% increase in new COVID hospitalizations. New Hampshire saw the largest increase in a week, reaching 96%. Jill Rosenthal, director of public fitness policy at the Center for American Progress, says she’s not surprised by the numbers piling up because it’s the summer trend. “We’ve had a summer COVID wave over the past few summers, so it’s not unexpected to see a buildup of COVID right now,” Rosenthal said.
The CDC expects to have the vaccines updated by fall 2023.
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