It’s summer 2024, but the COVID-19 pandemic is still dragging on. And even as the virus continues to evolve, it does so in more predictable ways.
There are new variants in town, a reformulated vaccine on the horizon, and new preventative treatments to help protect those most vulnerable from serious illness caused by COVID. At-risk groups are now the focus of America’s COVID strategy — instead of the blanket, one-size-fits-all approach taken early in the pandemic — meaning there could be less for the average healthy person. TO DO. But awareness is key to staying healthy, experts say, so it’s more important than ever to know how at risk you are.
Here’s what you need to know about COVID this summer.
FliRT variants are now dominant. What does that mean?
A variant of the COVID virus known as KP.3 is now responsible for about a quarter of cases in the United States, more than any other form, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. KP.3 recently overtook its close relative, KP.2, but both belong to a group known as FLiRT variants. All of these cousins are descendants of omicron, the most widespread variant of the disease that swept the world in late 2021.
However, the FLiRT variants are “different enough from the latest omicron variant that protection is also not very durable with the current vaccine,” which was based on that variant, XBB.1.5, said specialist Dr. Amesh Adalja infectious diseases. at the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University, reports Yahoo Life. “This is the new normal. New variants will continually appear and have the capacity to infect a population that enjoys strong prior immunity; this is what we should expect now and forever.
But the good news is that the newly dominant variants do not appear more likely to cause severe illness, hospitalizations or death, Adalja says.
What are the symptoms associated with KP.3?
The symptoms are essentially the same no matter which variant you get, says Adalja. “Everyone talks about these changing symptoms,” says Dr. David Smith, director of the division of infectious diseases at the University of California, San Diego. “But in reality, it’s the good old cough, fever, sore throat, feeling unwell or unwell… the same old things from the very beginning of the pandemic.” The New York Times also reports that patients generally feel “blah.” According to the CDC, common symptoms include:
A new vaccine will arrive this fall. Who should wait and who should get vaccinated now?
The CDC advises everyone age 5 and older to receive a dose of one of the current COVID vaccines made by Pfizer, Moderna or Novavax. Younger children, adults 65 and older and people who are immunocompromised may need multiple doses, the agency says.
However, with a new round of vaccines expected to become available this fall, experts’ advice is a bit more complicated. If they haven’t received a dose of the current vaccine, “most people can probably wait,” Adalja says. “If you get it now, it could blunt the effect of the new vaccine in the fall. » The FDA has asked vaccine makers to update their vaccines for the fall so that they are effective against the JN.1 lineage, of which the FLiRT variants are descendants.
For most people, Adalja says the decision to get vaccinated this summer varies “on a case-by-case basis” and advises considering:
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How long has it been since your last vaccination
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How high are your risks for severe COVID?
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Which risk category you fall into (e.g. elderly, overweight, chronically ill, immunocompromised)
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How long has it been since your last COVID infection
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Whether you are pregnant
Smith says everyone 65 and older should receive a dose of the current vaccine if they haven’t already. “The summer wave is coming and the vaccine offers good protection against the (FliRT) variants,” he told Yahoo Life. “People who are otherwise relatively healthy and not older can decide for themselves. But if you don’t, there’s a good chance you’ll get infected during the summer wave.”
Will there be a summer surge?
Most likely, yes, and cases have already started to increase. The rate of positive COVID tests increased to 4.5% in the week ending June 1, compared to a positivity rate of 3.8% the previous two weeks, according to CDC data. And emergency room visits for COVID increased 16.2% for the week ending June 1. But hospitalizations and deaths have remained stable.
According to Time, the first signs of this increase are already showing up in wastewater monitoring, with hot spots in the Northeast, South, West and Hawaii. Wastewater monitoring can offer insight into how many people have COVID (or other infectious diseases) before the test positivity rate begins to change.
“The wave is starting…but who knows if we’re going to have the big summer waves like we’ve had every summer since the start (of the COVID pandemic),” Smith says. Adalja says with the arrival of a new variant, an increase in COVID cases is expected. “This is not unmanageable in the health system, but it is an increase,” he said.
What else should people do to stay safe?
Both experts caution that any time you spend time in crowded places, there’s always a risk of contracting COVID, especially amid the FLiRT-fueled summer surge. This doesn’t mean everyone should stay home, just that you should know your risks and do everything you can to mitigate them.
“The number one behavior we should ingrain into our culture is: If you’re sick, stay home,” says Smith. “The other side of the coin is also true: we need to be more lenient when someone says I don’t feel well and I don’t think I should come (work) or attend this event. We should be grateful to this person for taking care of us by not exposing us to COVID or anything else they might have.
Are the testing guidelines always the same?
Yes. The CDC still recommends testing if you have symptoms of COVID or know you have been exposed to someone infected with the virus. “If you don’t feel well, you need to get tested,” says Smith. If your first home test is negative, the CDC says the best way to make sure you don’t have COVID is to take a second test within 48 hours if you have symptoms, and three home tests if you have no symptoms.
However, you will no longer be able to order free tests from the US government. The program was discontinued in March 2024. Private insurers are also no longer required to pay for the tests. But some insurers still cover the tests, as do Medicaid and Medicare.
And what should I do if I get it?
The CDC relaxed its quarantine recommendations after a positive test in March and now only suggests people stay home and away from other people if they have symptoms. If you have had no fever and no symptoms for at least 24 hours, you do not need to stay home.
Smith recommends that “if you test positive, then you should speak to a doctor to find out whether or not you need treatment.” However, he adds that we still don’t have great treatments for COVID, with Paxlovid being the only drug approved for COVID. “It’s not like Tamiflu, where you get better faster, but it’s really about preventing serious illness,” Adalja says. The CDC advises that Paxlovid — which requires a prescription — be given to people at high risk of becoming seriously ill. Paxlovid should be taken within five to seven days after symptoms appear.
But for most people, the agency says you can recover at home and use over-the-counter medications, including acetaminophen or ibuprofen, to help manage your symptoms.