President Biden was among dozens of Americans who recently tested positive for COVID-19 amid a substantial surge in cases across the country this summer.
COVID-19 infections are likely on the rise in 45 states, including Illinois, and are not decreasing anywhere in the United States, NBC News reported, citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While every summer since COVID emerged in 2020 has seen a surge in cases, this year’s — as evidenced by wastewater data — started earlier than in previous years.
However, the numbers have not reached the levels seen during other surges over the past year.
“The number of cases remains lower than the number we saw during the last fall spike or the small spike we saw last summer in Chicago,” Dr. Mary Hayden, director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Rush University System for Health, told NBC Chicago.
The White House announced that President Joe Biden began experiencing mild symptoms Wednesday after testing positive for the coronavirus.
The surge in cases can be largely attributed to a new series of COVID strains, dubbed the “FLiRT” variants, that are dominating the United States.
The variants, identified as KP.1.1, KP.3 and KP.2, collectively account for more than 55% of COVID cases in the United States, according to the CDC’s most recent data on variant proportions. KP.3, in particular, accounted for the most cases of any variant, at 24.5% of cases, the data showed.
Similarly, emergency department visits tracked through June 29 showed that COVID-19-related visits increased 18% compared to the previous week. As cases surge, here’s everything you need to know — including a breakdown of the most common variants, the most commonly reported symptoms, and the CDC’s recommendations for people infected with COVID-19?
What are the COVID FLiRT variants?
The variants are sub-variants of JN.1, which became dominant in December 2023 and has been labeled a “variant of concern,” although the “FLiRT” variants have two changes in the spike protein compared to JN.1.
“Both peak shifts were observed in earlier lineages, including the XBB.1.5 lineages, which were dominant throughout 2023 and served as the basis for the 2023-2024 vaccine formulation,” the CDC reported.
Health officials said that while there are no indicators that the new strains cause more severe illness than other strains, “CDC will continue to monitor community transmission of the virus and the effectiveness of vaccines against this strain.”
Megan L. Ranney, dean of the Yale School of Public Health, tells WebMD that changes in the Spike protein are concerning.
Are FLiRT variants more contagious?
The KP.3 variant quickly became dominant, overtaking KP.2 as the most common strain in the United States within weeks, the CDC reported.
“It’s early to tell, but the initial impression is that this variant is quite transmissible,” Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told TODAY.com.
Some lab studies suggest that FLiRT variants may be mutated enough that prior vaccination or immunity from prior infection likely doesn’t provide full protection, Schaffner said.
I don’t feel well. What symptoms should I pay attention to?
Dr Lakshmi Halasyamani, chief clinical officer at Endeavor Health, said despite the spread of the new variant, the core symptoms associated with COVID remain unchanged.
If you think you have COVID, here are some symptoms you may experience, according to the CDC:
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Altered sense of smell
- Congestion
- Fever or chills
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Last year, a Chicago-area doctor said he noticed changes in the most common symptoms reported by his patients as the JN.1 variant became dominant.
Dr. Chantel Tinfang, a family medicine physician at Sengstacke Health Center at Provident Hospital in Cook County, noted at the time that many of the cases she saw reported less fever, body aches and chills, and more sore throat, fatigue and cough.
“We still see patients who have loss of appetite, loss of taste, loss of smell. So it depends a little bit,” she said. “One patient was just very, very tired. She couldn’t really do much. And that’s when you know… it’s different. It’s not just coughing and shortness of breath. But we still see that.”
She suggested seeing your doctor if your symptoms don’t start to improve outside of the recommended isolation period.
What are the current CDC guidelines?
People with COVID-19 no longer need to stay away from others for five days, according to the latest guidance, effectively reversing the five-day isolation recommendation. In March, the agency updated its guidance to reflect recommendations for other respiratory infections.
People can return to work or their usual activities if their symptoms are mild and improving and if it has been a day since they had a fever, but the CDC still recommends that people with symptoms stay home.
“The recommendations suggest resuming normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms have improved overall and, if a fever was present, it has resolved without the use of an antipyretic medication,” the guide states.
Once activities resume, the CDC continues to recommend “additional prevention strategies” for five more days, including wearing a mask and maintaining distance from others.
The agency recommends that people continue to try to prevent infections in the first place, by getting vaccinated, washing their hands and taking steps to get more fresh air outdoors.
Can I still get free COVID tests?
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the federal ICATT program is offering free COVID-19 testing for the uninsured: Here’s a locator people can use to find locations near them.
Dr. Mary Hayden, director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Rush University System for Health, also noted that free options remain available for those who are uninsured through local health departments and community health clinics.