Rising COVID-19 cases in summer affect Americans, CDC says

COVID-19 rapidly took the world by storm in 2020, and experts warn that 4 years later the virus continues to be widespread on account of a spike in summer cases.

As summer approaches in the United States, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that 36 states across the country have “high” or “very high” COVID rates. “This year’s summer wave of COVID-19 is coming earlier than last year, which occurred in late August and early September,” a spokesman for the government-led organization said.

Initially, the CDC tracked the overall number of latest COVID-19 cases. It now uses metrics equivalent to positive test results, emergency room visits, and wastewater surveillance to estimate transmission levels. Since its peak in January, COVID-19 positivity rates have been at their highest at 12.6%; nonetheless, infection-related mortality rates have remained stable.

“Levels are lower than last winter’s peak and close to the peak seen in early autumn 2023,” the spokesman said.

According to wastewater data, the U.S. states with the best variety of summer cases are currently in the West. However, there have been recent jumps in the Southeast, New England regions, and a few parts of the Mid-Atlantic.

States with “very high” COVID-19 rates include: District of Columbia, Alaska, California, Florida, etc. Areas with “high” COVID-19 rates include: Alabama, Arizona, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Virginia, and others.

“Unlike the flu, which essentially goes away in the summer, COVID-19 never goes away,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

He also noted that the summer spike in COVID-19 cases is happening “all over the country.”

“(COVID) is growing everywhere,” Schaffner said. “It’s not like you can go to a state and avoid the growth. It’s just that the growth is more pronounced in some parts of the country than others.”

In addition to previous strains like Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron, latest COVID-19 variants contributing to the summer spikes include FLiRT and LB.1. The CDC reports that symptoms of COVID-19 include stuffy or runny nose, cough, diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, or vomiting, and other symptoms like fever or chills, latest lack of taste or smell, shortness of breath, sore throat, and headache or muscle pain.