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1. The latest surge is relatively mild<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s the good news\ufeff: Although every summer has brought a spike in cases since COVID-19 appeared, this is a moderate surge and not nearly as bad as the delta summer surge<\/a> of 2021. The reason: Most of the cases have been mild. \u201cThere are exceptions, of course, but the disease severity on a per-case basis is much lower than it used to be,\u201d Sax says.\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. COVID doesn\u2019t have a season<\/p>\n\n\n\n Flu season typically hits in fall and winter and subsides in spring and summer. The coronavirus hasn\u2019t settled into that pattern, at least not yet. Whereas influenza cases are rare in the summer, coronavirus cases don\u2019t seem to ebb and flow as much with the seasons. \u201cWhether this is going to be the case forever, or whether we\u2019re going to have more seasonality with COVID going away completely in the summer is unknown,\u201d Sax says. \ufeff<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Summer heat waves may fuel infections\ufeff<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ufeffExperts say influenza spreads in winter because people tend to spend more time indoors to get out of the cold. But people also don\u2019t want to be outside when scorching temps<\/a> rise into the 90s and above. Air-conditioned restaurants, gyms, bars and places of worship are great escapes from the heat, but they also can be COVID breeding grounds. \ufeff<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Older COVID tests can detect current strains<\/p>\n\n\n\n Older COVID tests will work on current strains, as long as the tests haven\u2019t expired<\/a>. In some cases, the Food and Drug Administration has extended the expiration date, so check this FDA list of authorized tests<\/a> to find out. Sax says if you do use an expired test, they are more likely to show that you don\u2019t have COVID when you do. \u201cIf you test positive on a test that\u2019s expired, it\u2019s probably correct,\u201d he says, although \u201cyou should try to use tests that are not past their expiration date.\u201d\ufeff<\/p>\n\n\n\n He adds that home tests are still not as sensitive as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. So if you are having symptoms and you test negative on the first day, go ahead and take a second test on day two. \u201cSometimes it takes a few days for the test to turn positive.\u201d If you\u2019re still not sure and are having symptoms, get a PCR test at a pharmacy or clinic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. If you have COVID, consider Paxlovid<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sax says he recommends the antiviral medication Paxlovid<\/a> for most COVID patients over 50 who have symptoms. \u201cThere is another treatment available called molnupiravir, but actually, Paxlovid appears to be more effective,\u201d he notes. Although there were previously shortages of Paxlovid, the medication is plentiful and still free from the federal government for now.\ufeff<\/p>\n\n\n\n