The coronavirus pandemic may feel distant for some, but new data shows summer is ushering in an annual wave of infections, and President Joe Biden is just the latest to test positive for COVID-19.
The COVID-19 positivity rate hit 15.6% in a group of states including Arizona, California, Nevada, and Hawaii, according to the latest report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Across the nation, positive COVID-19 tests increased to 11%, a jump of nearly 2 percentage points compared to the previous week, and emergency department visits increased slightly from 1.1 % to 1.3%.
RELATED STORY | President Joe Biden tests positive for COVID-19, cancels speaking appearance
The CDC is also monitoring COVID-19 viral levels in wastewater, as the information collected can be used as a warning of an increase or a decrease in infection. The latest findings show viral levels from wastewater collected in Florida and Oregon more than tripled the national trend, while levels in Nevada more than doubled. Overall, 26 states reported very high or high levels of viral activity in wastewater, while 10 states showed moderate levels.
Dr. Rosha McCoy, the senior director of the American Association of Medical Colleges, said an increase in positive COVID cases during summer and fall months has become a trend. She strongly advises people to not let their guard down and to continue to take precautions to protect themselves from the infection.
“I think we should all be concerned,” McCoy said.
KP.2 and KP.3 are the predominant variants circulating in the U.S. and account for an estimated 60% of infections, according to CDC data.
RELATED STORY | Nearly 1 in 10 people who get COVID-19 while pregnant will develop long COVID, new study finds
“Most of the hospitalizations we’re seeing are from people over the age of 65, people who have immunocompromised conditions,” McCoy said.
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever or chills, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, body aches and diarrhea.
“If you’re sick you need not to be around others, and should definitely consider masking so that you don’t pass this on to other people,” McCoy said.
McCoy strongly advises staying up to date with vaccines for protection against new COVID-19 variants. She predicts the FDA and the CDC will announce a new vaccine to protect against COVID-19 sometime in late August or September.
Treatment is available for COVID-19, and McCoy strongly advises people who are immunocompromised to talk to their doctor about booster shots.
President Biden tested positive for COVID-19 following an event in Las Vegas, according to the White House. President Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, said the president was experiencing “mild symptoms.”
President Biden is now en route to Delaware to self-isolate, and has been prescribed the antiviral drug Paxlovid.