August 9th 2023.
It looks like COVID-19 is still very much a present threat, as hospitalizations are on the rise again, according to the Associated Press. Since early July, the number of cases have been steadily increasing, with the week ending July 29th seeing over 9,000 hospital admissions, a 12% increase from the previous week.
Fortunately, the numbers are far from the peak of 45,000 in July 2022, so experts are not sounding any alarm bells. Dr. David Dowdy, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins, said that while numbers are ticking up, there is no need to panic.
The uptick in cases may be linked to an increase in COVID-19 virus levels in sewage water since late June. With the new school year rapidly approaching, scientists are keeping a close eye on wastewater concentrations. According to epidemiologist Cristin Young from Biobot Analytics, who is also a contractor for the CDC, the virus is showing high concentrations in the northeast and southern parts of the country. However, Young adds that the concentrations are still fairly low and that no variants like delta or omicron have been detected.
Some states are seeing higher numbers than others. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, and more have seen a 20% increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations. New Hampshire has seen the largest increase, jumping to 96%. Jill Rosenthal, director of public health policy at the Center for American Progress, pointed out that this is a typical pattern for the summer months.
The CDC is making plans for an updated vaccine by fall 2023. Until then, it is important to stay vigilant and closely monitor the situation in order to keep the spread of the virus under control.
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