Cough, cough. Sniff, sniff.
Summer typically is not the season for respiratory infections, but it is the time when people get together for reunions, barbecues and graduation parties, plus celebrate weddings and travel. When the temperature climbs, folks often seek respite indoors, where it's air-conditioned.
And those activities are all conducive to the spread of coronavirus. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a summer bump in coronavirus activity nationally.
Test positivity rates are up 1.2% in the last week in the U.S. There has been a 14.7% rise in hospital emergency department visits for people with COVID-19 over the last seven days, and from May 26-June 1, the most recent dates for which data is available, hospitals reported a 25% increase in COVID-19 admissions.
Deaths, too, from the virus are climbing nationally — up 16.7% in the last week.
Closer to home, "COVID is at low levels in Michigan as evidenced by several indicators, including emergency department visits, wastewater, cases and deaths," said Chelsea Wuth, a spokesperson for the state health department.
The latest data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services suggests the number of newly identified cases fell about 20% from the week ending June 8 to the week ending June 15 — from 813 cases to 648.
Five COVID-19-related deaths were recorded in the state in the week ending June 15. The previous week, there were seven reported COVID-19-related deaths statewide, according to MDHHS.
However, urgent care and emergency department visits that included the identification of a coronavirus infection have nudged upward in Michigan in recent weeks, accounting for 0.6% of visits statewide.
What to do if you test positive
The strains of the coronavirus that are circulating right now are subtypes of the omicron variant, according to the CDC. It reported the KP.3 lineage made up about 33.1% of coronavirus cases nationally in the two-week period ending June 22. Next was KP.2, which made up 20.8% of cases, and LB.1, which accounted for 17.5% of cases.
If you get a coronavirus infection, health officials recommend:
- Staying home and isolating for at least five days, until your symptoms have improved and you are fever free for at least 24 hours. Even then, continue to take precautions, such as distancing and wearing a mask, for an additional five days to prevent spreading the virus to others.
- Consider treatment if you are at high risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Paxlovid, an antiviral pill, can be used to treat illness within five days of the onset of symptoms. Paxlovid is recommended for those ages 12 and older weighing at least 88 pounds who are at risk for severe disease hospitalization or death from the virus.
The Infectious Disease Society of America reported Thursday that the variants now circulating in the U.S. respond well to the Paxlovid antiviral treatment.
To reduce your risk of infection, the IDSA recommends:
- Wearing a high-quality mask and washing your hands often or using hand sanitizer if you are getting on an airplane or using other public transportation. If you test positive for the virus while on a trip, do not travel for at least five days and isolate at your hotel or vacation property.
- If you aren't up to date on COVID vaccination or aren't sure about the current recommendations for vaccines, check out the CDC's website to learn more: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html.
Contact Kristen Shamus: kshamus@freepress.com. Subscribe to the Free Press.
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