A new map shows how COVID-19 infections appear to be on the rise in 12 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This increase is being closely monitored by health authorities who are waiting to see if the virus is gaining momentum again following a lull in the spring. Despite this numbers are down compared to last year.
The CDC’s data analysis, taken from emergency department visits, suggests that COVID-19 infections are ticking up in Alaska, Arizona, California, Washington DC, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, and Washington state.
This surge arrives even as nearly all US regions continue to record “low” or “minimal” cases of respiratory illness activity, per the CDC’s standards, similar to previous periods when COVID-19 propagation slowed during spring and early summer.
On average, only 0.3 per cent of emergency room patients were diagnosed with COVID-19 nationwide through May 10, drastically fewer than last summer’s peak of almost 3 per cent in late August. Reported cases of COVID-19 in nursing homes across the country remain at near-historic lows as well.
Initial data from the CDC’s COVID-19 wastewater surveillance also estimates that levels of the virus remain “minimal” nationwide, though virus levels seem to be on the uptick in sewersheds in the West.
The prevalent strains of the virus currently in circulation are referred to as K.2 and KP.1.1, casually dubbed the “FLiRT” variants. Health officials have indicated that these two strains bear a close resemblance to the JN.1 variant from last winter’s wave, except for a couple of minor alterations that might be facilitating their spread.
A spokesperson for the CDC stated on May 10 that the agency doesn’t believe these variants are “causing an increase in infections as transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is low.”
“Based on current data there are no indicators that KP.2 would cause more severe illness than other strains. CDC will continue to monitor community transmission of the virus and how vaccines perform against this strain,” the spokesperson had said.
The KP.2 variant currently accounts for about 25% of all current infections in the US. The KP.1.1 accounts for about 7.5% of cases, according to tracking by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new strains appear to be highly transmissible, with current vaccines and immunity from previous infections believed to only provide partial protection
The CDC said: “Viruses constantly change through mutation and sometimes these mutations result in a new variant of the virus. Some changes and mutations allow the virus to spread more easily or make it resistant to treatments or vaccines. As the virus spreads, it may change and become harder to stop.”
The health agency noted that Covid-19 remains an important public threat despite overall decreases in the number of people experiencing severe disease. Symptoms of the latest variants are similar to previous strains – including sore throat, cough, fatigue, congestion, runny nose, headache, muscle aches, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing. If you experience any symptoms, you are encouraged to take a PCR test.