COVID levels in Massachusetts now more than twice the national average

BOSTON - COVID numbers are rising again in Massachusetts, with the number of cases climbing at a high rate.

State wastewater data shows the levels in Massachusetts are more than twice the national average. That's based on testing done at the end of July. National numbers are also higher than normal.

Massachusetts is among the 19 states in the CDC's "very high" range. The rest of New England is also in that range. Emergency room visits are at their highest rates since February.

This is the most COVID activity in Massachusetts since last winter.

Why is COVID spiking again?

WBZ-TV's Dr. Mallika Marshall said the coronavirus continues to mutate in an effort to evade our immune systems, so even if you get infected, after about three months your immunity to the virus begins to fade. That said, people who have some natural immunity from a prior infection and those who stay up-to-date with their boosters are much less likely to get severely ill and wind up in the hospital or worse.

Dr. Shira Doron , an infectious disease expert at Tufts Medical Center, doubts this uptick is tied to human behavior.

"I honestly think that this is about viral evolution and the fact that new subvariants of Omicron are always emerging under the pressure of community immunity," she told WBZ.

Meanwhile, Cambridge-based Moderna is working on a combination COVID and flu vaccine . Moderna said it's testing well but there's no timetable on when it will be available.

COVID guidelines 2024

Current guidelines are to isolate yourself from others until you are fever-free for at least 24 hours without the help of fever-reducing medications and until your symptoms have improved. But even if you meet those criteria, you should continue to wear a mask for at least another five days to protect others.

While guidelines are still similar to other respiratory illnesses, Dr. Doron does have advice about at-home tests for those who are high risk.

"Those home tests, because people have had multiple infections at this point, multiple vaccinations, your immune system is keeping the virus down in your nose, the test might take days to turn positive," Dr. Doron said.

"So, you do need to take that test again and again. The drugs are more effective if you get them in earlier, so if you think you might have COVID and you're someone who's very high risk, you may want to go to the doctor or to urgent care for a PCR test which is going to be positive earlier in the course of disease so that you can get that treatment."