As high summer temperatures push Americans to stay home and millions of people to go on vacation or to family gatherings, COVID infections are surging again, U. S. health officials warned Monday. U. S.
In evidence suggesting a summer COVID wave is underway, the number of cases is peaking, likely surging in 39 states and declining anywhere in the country, according to new insights from the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. U. S.
Although the CDC no longer tracks COVID cases, it still estimates the spread of knowledge of the virus in emergency room visits. COVID deaths and emergency room visits increased last week, while hospitalizations rose 25% from May 26 to June 1, according to the CDC’s latest insights.
“It looks like the summer wave is about to start,” Dr. Thomas Russo, leader of the infectious diseases branch at the University of Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, told NBC News.
Several new COVID variants are most likely contributing to the surge in cases this summer, Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, told NBC News.
“We are witnessing the beginning of a trend of infections that coincides with the progression of new variants: KP. 2, KP. 3 and LB. 1. It turns out that these variants have advantages over the past ones,” he added.
The 3 variants are descendants of JN. 1, the edition of the coronavirus that dominated this winter.
KP. 2 was the dominant variant last month, then KP. 3 took over in early June, NBC News reported. With a third variant featuring the same key mutations, KP. 1. 1, the organization now accounts for about 63% of all COVID infections in the United States, according to CDC data.
Meanwhile, LB. 1 accounts for another 17. 5% of COVID infections. Experts say its immediate expansion indicates that it will most likely soon become dominant.
Still, “he’s kind of a new kid on the block,” Barouch said. “Not much is known about it. “
An initial study published this month, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, suggests that LB. 1 is more contagious and can better evade coverage than past vaccines or infections. The study can be found at bioRxiv.
“Assuming the initial knowledge is true, that it is more immune and more contagious than KP. 2 and KP. 3, this is a winning formula to infect more people,” Russo said.
Variants aside, experts say cases will most likely continue as others retreat to their homes to escape the heat and gather to celebrate the 4th of July.
Russo advised that others who are vulnerable to serious infections and illnesses, or who are more likely to attend large parties or gatherings, get vaccinated against COVID-19.
He added that a monoclonal antibody called Pemgarda has been available since April for immunocompromised people. The antiviral drug Paxlovid would also possibly reduce the risk of hospitalization or death.
As for young, healthy people, they can expect updated COVID vaccines expected to arrive this fall, experts said.
This month, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that the U. S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a report on the U. S. Food and TThe U. S. Department of Agriculture pleaded with vaccine brands to focus on the KP. 2 variant. The CDC’s advisory committee on immunization practices is expected to meet Thursday to determine who deserves to get those vaccines.
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