As a series of variants fuel a COVID surge this summer, an expert gives advice on how to address the threat.
“We saw a seasonal trend emerge, where we had a slight buildup of COVID in the summer and then somewhat more in the winter, with normally the winter being more severe,” said Dr. Michael Ben-Aderet, the hospital’s associate medical director. Epidemiology at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.
This summer, it is in the west of the country where the number of cases has increased the most. Wastewater data from the region shows that the virus that causes COVID-19 improved from moderate to high grades in late June.
What is driving this spike? So-called FLiRT COVID variants, such as KP. 3 and KP. 2, are newer versions of the virus that began spreading in the spring.
Ben-Aderet noted that this trend sounds familiar to him.
“This has been the case for a few years. I don’t think anyone understands it,” he said. “Many viruses are seasonal in nature. Some viruses are seasonal in summer, others in winter. COVID-19 turns out to be provided in both. “
While this is partly due to the way the virus spreads, human habit also comes into play, he added.
“There are no classes, other people are on vacation, others are traveling, others are mingling and doing more activities, this plays a role in this summer increase,” Ben-Adet said.
“The masks still work. Be sure to wear a well-fitting mask. They have been shown to help prevent the spread of COVID-19,” he said. “If you haven’t been vaccinated, you still need to get vaccinated and the most productive thing is to be up to date on your vaccinations. Avoid being around others who are sick. If you are exposed or sick, stay in your home space if you don’t want to pass out. “
Importantly, the symptoms and severity of FLiRT infections largely mirror those of previous variants, Ben-Aderet noted.
“We’re still seeing the mild illness that we’ve seen with COVID-19 over the last year,” he said. “It’s basically an upper respiratory illness. Think fever, chills, cough, runny nose, congestion, necessarily similar to a cold. And sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms. “
Fortunately, available tests still find FLiRT variants, while Paxlovid is still available and works very well, he said.
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