COVID-19 hospitalizations in the US are on the rise again, but not like before

Right here we go once more: COVID-19 hospital admissions have inched upward in the US since early July in a small-scale echo of the three earlier summers.

With an up to date vaccine nonetheless months away, this summer season bump in new hospitalizations is likely to be regarding, however the variety of sufferers is much decrease than earlier than. A take a look at what we all know:

HOW BAD IS THE SPIKE?

For the week ending July 29, COVID-19 hospital admissions had been at 9,056. That is a rise of about 12% from the earlier week.

But it surely’s a far cry from previous peaks, just like the 44,000 weekly hospital admissions in early January, the almost 45,000 in late July 2022, or the 150,000 admissions throughout the omicron surge of January 2022.

“It’s ticking up somewhat bit, nevertheless it’s not one thing that we have to increase any alarm bells over,” mentioned Dr. David Dowdy, an infectious illness epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Faculty of Public Well being.

It’s probably that infections are rising too, however the information is scant. Federal authorities ended the general public well being emergency in Might, so the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention and lots of states not observe the variety of optimistic take a look at outcomes.

WHAT ABOUT DEATHS?

Since early June, about 500 to 600 individuals have died every week. The variety of deaths seems to be secure this summer season, though previous will increase in deaths have lagged behind hospitalizations.

HOW ARE WE TRACKING THE VIRUS?

The quantity of the COVID-19 virus in sewage water has been rising since late June throughout the nation. Within the coming weeks, well being officers say they’re going to hold an in depth eye on wastewater ranges as individuals return from summer season journey and college students return to highschool.

Larger ranges of COVID-19 in wastewater concentrations are being discovered within the Northeast and South, mentioned Cristin Younger, an epidemiologist at Biobot Analytics, the CDC’s wastewater surveillance contractor.

“It’s vital to recollect proper now the concentrations are nonetheless pretty low,” Younger mentioned, including it is about 2.5 instances decrease than final summer season.

And whereas one model of omicron — EG.5 — is showing extra continuously, no specific variant of the virus is dominant. The variant has been dubbed “eris” nevertheless it’s an unofficial nickname and scientists aren’t utilizing it.

“There are a pair that we’re watching, however we’re not seeing something like delta or omicron,” Younger mentioned, referencing variants that fueled earlier surges.

And mutations within the virus do not essentially make it extra harmful.

“Simply because we’ve got a brand new subvariant doesn’t imply that we’re destined to have a rise in dangerous outcomes,” Dowdy mentioned.

WHEN IS THE NEW VACCINE COMING?

This fall, officers count on to see up to date COVID-19 vaccines that include one model of the omicron pressure, referred to as XBB.1.5. It’s an vital change from in the present day’s mixture photographs, which combine the unique coronavirus pressure with final yr’s most typical omicron variants.

It isn’t clear precisely when individuals can begin rolling up their sleeves for what officers hope is an annual fall COVID-19 shot. Pfizer, Moderna and smaller producer Novavax all are brewing doses of the XBB replace however the Meals and Drug Administration must log off on every, and the CDC should then subject suggestions for his or her use.

Dr. Mandy Cohen, the brand new CDC director, mentioned she expects individuals will get their COVID-19 photographs the place they get their flu photographs — at pharmacies and at work — relatively than at devoted areas that had been arrange early within the pandemic as a part of the emergency response.

“That is going to be our first fall and winter season popping out of the general public well being emergency, and I feel we’re all recognizing that we live with COVID, flu, and RSV,” Cohen instructed The Related Press final week. “However the excellent news is we’ve got extra instruments than ever earlier than.”

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AP Medical Writers Lauran Neergaard and Mike Stobbe contributed to this report.

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The Related Press Well being and Science Division receives assist from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Instructional Media Group. The AP is solely answerable for all content material.