COVID-19 cases dip in Florida. Is the summer surge over?

The volume of COVID-19 infections reported in Florida has dipped but it doesn’t necessarily mean a summer surge is over.

President Biden testing positive shows that the risk of infection remains real and the general population should not let their guard down.

The 81-year-old president tested positive after an event in Las Vegas and was reported to be experiencing mild symptoms.

More: Ready for summer? That could mean COVID-19. Here's why

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says test positivity nationwide stands at 11% as of July 15, data shows. Earlier this month the CDC said 39 states were seeing infections climb.

Summer peaks have been a norm since the pandemic began in 2020. One surveillance tool is the presence of the virus in wastewater; the data has been trending up.

Symptoms of infection can include fever or chills; cough, sore throat, congestion, headache, muscle ache, fatigue and difficulty breathing. Some people may experience a loss of taste or smell, brain “fog” and stomach upset.

What is the statewide trend?

In Florida about 3% of emergency room visits this past week were for the virus, the CDC says.

Florida Department of Health data i ndicates infections may be slowing down, at least for now.

DOH reports the count statewide has dropped to 19,514 cases as of July 12.

That’s down 10% from a week earlier when there were 21,531 cases.

What about Southwest Florida?

Southwest Florida has seen a similar dip in volume, according to DOH.

Lee County had 815 cases for the week ending July 12. That is down 18% from 995 cases the week of July 5.

Collier had 298 cases as of July 12, that’s 33% drop from 447 cases a week earlier.

Officials at Lee Health, the public hospital system in Lee, say they have not reached a plateau yet, according to Dr. Dr. Stephanie Stovall, an infectious disease specialist.

But intensive care unit admissions for the virus are not going up, she said.

“(It) appears we are in midst of summer wave,” she said in an email. “We encourage folks to stay home when sick (wear a mask if you must go out), get vaccine if indicated for your risk category, consider a mask if you can’t avoid being in crowds and are at high risk of complications, always handwashing.”

Should I get a vaccine?

The CDC recommends everyone 6 months old and up get an updated COVID vaccine, according to an advisory issued in late June.

Updated vaccines will be available from Moderna, Novavax, and Pfizer later this year. This recommendation takes effect as soon as the new vaccines are available.

The virus is always changing and protection from vaccines declines over time, according to the CDC.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: COVID-19 cases dip in Florida. Is the summer surge over?