Many people don’t want to think about the virus, but an increase in cases means it’s time for a refresher on how to protect yourself and oth
Just because the COVID-19 emergency ended doesn't mean the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
You’re not imagining it: Covid-19 cases are on the rise again. Fortunately, since a vast majority of Americans have some sort of immunity, either from vaccination or a prior infection, or both, most people who get infected now will have a mild illness. And while there are multiple strains circulating (nearly all of them descendants of the Omicron XBB variant), they are unlikely to cause the “wildfire spreading” that occurred with the Delta variant and the first Omicron variant, said Dr. David Boulware, a professor of medicine specializing in infectious diseases at the University of Minnesota Medical School. That includes EG.5, which was recently named a “variant under monitoring” by the World Health Organization and currently accounts for about 17 percent of cases in the United States. “I’m not sure if it’s a surge, per se, or just uptick,” Dr. Boulware said of the current situation. Either way, he added, it’s a reminder “that, yes, Covid still exists.”
If you are fully vaccinated, including the booster, congratulate yourself. If not, this might be a good time to catch up. The new academic year starts soon and not all your classmates may be as conscientious as you.
A reminder of the symptoms – one of which is associated with a new strain.
Covid symptoms haven’t changed much since the start of the pandemic — sore throat, congestion, fatigue, fever and cough remain the most common, said Dr. Paul Sax, the clinical director of the division of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Some people may also experience gastrointestinal symptoms, and there are reports that the XBB.1.16 strain can cause pink eye. These generic symptoms mean it can be “extremely difficult to tell one virus from another,” Dr. Sax said. The easiest way to know if you have Covid or just a summer cold is to take a rapid test.
Not everybody with pink eye has the COVID XBB.1.16 strain, but it's a heads up if you also have any of the more classic symptoms.
Diseases don't go away just because people get bored with them. Hopefully there will soon be a yearly COVID shot just as there is a yearly flu shot.
If you need it, the CDC vaccine site is still available.
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