CHICAGO – Much of the country, besides Illinois, is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases in the summer, according to updated wastewater surveillance insights from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Friday, 27 states were reporting “very high” degrees of viral activity in wastewater, while Illinois and 16 other states were reporting “high” degrees.
The point of sewage virus activity in Illinois remains below the Midwest average, which in turn is below the national average, according to the CDC.
The “very high” point is the one used by the company to quantify viral activity. Other states in this category include California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri. , Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, New Hampshire, Maine and Alaska.
The lowest point reported among states is “moderate” and no state reported “low” or “minimal” degrees of viral activity in wastewater. In July, seven states reported “very high” levels of viral activity in wastewater and 19 reported “high” degrees. Degrees.
The CDC reported that 1. 6% of all deaths in Illinois during the week ending Aug. 3 were due to COVID-19, up 60% from last week. Meanwhile, 1. 9% of emergency room visits were attributable to the coronavirus.
Nationally, COVID-19 became the leading cause of death in the United States in 2023, up from fourth place last year, according to the CDC.
With the existing surge in COVID infections, “this will most likely end up coinciding with the largest summer wave seen,” Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, told NBC News. and former White House COVID-19 response coordinator. .
“It’s not as big as winter waves yet, but it’s starting to get closer,” Jha said, adding that he expects the wave to peak in the coming weeks.
The wastewater surveillance data, although limited, corresponds to a 13-week increase in positive COVID tests reported to the CDC: now more than 17%, up from 0. 3% in early May. Hospitalizations are also increasing, with a rate of 3. 3% as they go. on July 20, down from a low rate of 1. 1% on April 20, the lowest hospitalization rate of the 2023-24 COVID season.
The region with COVID-19 positive control rates includes Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Arkansas, with a positive control rate of 24% for the week ending Aug. 3.
The CDC recommends that anyone 6 months and older receive the updated COVID-19 vaccines when they become available this fall, regardless of whether the user has already been vaccinated. The Food and Drug Administration recommends that pharmaceutical corporations formulate vaccines to protect unlike the KP. 2 strain, known as the FLiRT variant, which is responsible for about 6% of positive COVID cases nationwide.
Related: What you need to know about the novel FLiRT coronavirus mutation
The World Health Organization declared an end to the COVID-19 public health emergency more than a year ago, but experts say the way to fight the coronavirus is to get people vaccinated.
“Population immunity has gotten us out of the pandemic,” said Dr. Manisha Patel, medical director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Now the goal is to make sure that immunity is waning. And the way to achieve this is through vaccination. This is the surest way to keep our country healthy.
Although it seems that the ailments related to FLiRT are not as serious as those caused by other variants, there are certain symptoms that differentiate it. They include:
Avoiding crowded indoor areas, wearing a mask and informing others with COVID are tactics for contracting the new FLiRT variant, fitness officials said.
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