CNN
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Covid-19 is on the rise again as the world enters its fourth viral season since its emergence.
Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show a modest increase in hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and positive COVID-19 tests, although not as much as in past summers.
Summer travel, unrelenting heat forcing people indoors, and weakened immunity to the virus may all be responsible for increased COVID-19 activity, not new infectious variants. there is.
Experts say it’s impossible to know what the fall-winter virus season will look like, but there are still steps to overcome a small summer surge and prepare for the coming months. .
Covid-19 is not going anywhere, and doctors are arguing that the best way to protect yourself from the virus, like the flu, is to get vaccinated.
Both Moderna and Pfizer are working on a new novel coronavirus vaccine targeting the XBB strain, a submutant of the Omicron variant. Pfizer said the new vaccine could be approved in November and the vaccine is expected to be available in late September or early October.
“If you’re over 65 or have a weakened immune system and haven’t had recent immunity to COVID-19, don’t wait,” said Dr. Peter Chinhong, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco. ‘ said. To get the latest of his Covid-19 shots. Currently offered bivalent boosters provide sufficient immunity. Those who grabbed an existing booster will have to wait weeks or months to get their hands on the latest booster, which is set to release in the fall.
“If my immunity hasn’t been boosted recently, I would go get a vaccine right now,” he said, noting that immunity to COVID-19 could help older people and those with weakened immune systems. He added that people who are doing so will have an advantage against the virus.
Children who have never been vaccinated or who have not been vaccinated recently may also be affected, according to Adam Ratner, M.D., an expert in pediatric infectious diseases at New York University and a member of the Infectious Diseases Board of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The same applies.
“If I have an unvaccinated child, I don’t wait,” Ratner said. “While the current circulating variant is less efficient at neutralizing antibodies from the original vaccine, it does not equate to no protection from previous versions of the vaccine.”
On the other hand, most Americans who have some immunity to COVID-19 through vaccination or previous infections may be able to wait until a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available in the fall. is high.
To prevent hospitalizations, deaths and even severe disruptions to daily life, Qinghong said the latest COVID-19 booster vaccine will begin every fall along with the flu shot once it becomes available. argue that it should.
In addition to vaccination, the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to isolate yourself if you are sick. CDC’s recommendation No change: If you test positive for the virus, stay home for at least 5 days.
Ratner said isolation is especially important as children across the country return to school, with children staying home for the full five days if they test positive for COVID-19 and then added that they should only return to class if they feel better. Still, children will have to keep wearing masks for an additional five days to prevent the spread of infection in schools.
This recommendation also applies to adults, Ratner says.
Covid-19 patients should wear masks, even if they don’t have symptoms, Qinghong said. He says it’s okay to carry a mask in your pocket if needed.
“As an infectious disease doctor, the best use of masks is to wear them to protect others when you are sick, especially when you have symptoms,” Chinhong said.
It may have been a while since you bought a home-use COVID-19 test kit, but Chinhong recommends using it if you feel sick. Don’t think it’s the flu or a cold.
“Knowing that you have [Covid-19] It’s important,” he stresses, emphasizing that the sooner you realize you’re sick, the sooner you can isolate and access treatments like Paxlovid.
Knowing that you have tested positive for COVID-19 and taking precautions against it is also polite, Chinwon said, adding that people are still suffering from severe cases of COVID-19, so “let’s protect ourselves.” It’s important to have ‘humility’ with people who are doing it, he added. -19.
“The same virus may mean little to normal people in terms of symptoms,” he says. “It may be [larger] It affects some people within the community. ”
If you’re worried that your test kit is too old, don’t throw it away, Chinhong says.
“Each kit has an expiration date, but manufacturers keep extending the expiration date. I will call the manufacturer and ask if they are extending the lot,” he says.
However, if you have test kits very early in the 2020 or 2021 pandemic, Chinhong says, they may not give you accurate readings.
Many people infected with COVID-19 experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, and headache, while others experience no symptoms at all. In such cases, the treatment plan remains the same as during the pandemic. Patients should take over-the-counter medications, rest, and drink plenty of fluids.
However, Paxlovid and Remdesivir may be available but underutilized as the novel coronavirus could become more severe, Qinghong said.
Remdesivir, an antiviral drug often used to treat more severe cases of COVID-19, is not easy to administer, he added. This drug has few interactions but should be given by infusion over 3 consecutive days.
“[That is] It’s a limitation for outpatients and those who don’t have access to a healthcare system with IV centers,” he said.
Paxlovid is also a combination antiviral medicine consisting of two drugs, nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, taken together as a five-day tablet within the first five days of the onset of symptoms of COVID-19.
A study published earlier this year found that lancet infection Paxlovid was 80% effective in preventing hospitalization or death when COVID-19 positive patients started taking the drug within 5 days of symptom onset.
Qinghong said he recommends prescribing paxlovid to all COVID-19 patients who are elderly or have a weakened immune system. However, in a study published in JAMA A survey last month suggested that the spread was not as strong. The researchers found that only 25 nursing home residents were prescribed paxlovid between May 2021 and December 2022, despite the high risk of COVID-19 and complications. was found to be %.
Despite their effectiveness, the drug also has drawbacks. Paxlovid is known to interact with many other drugs, which may be the reason why it is not used for mild to moderate cases of COVID-19, Qinghong noted.
“I think that’s probably the biggest question and the biggest variability in clinician views,” he says. “Some clinicians are very familiar with managing drug interactions. Others are unaware of it or afraid to use it.”
