As the summer travel season gets into full swing, Los Angeles County is seeing an increase in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, with some people who have recently been reinfected making this their worst outbreak yet.
At this time, there is no indication that the newest coronavirus variants are causing more severe illness either nationally or in California.
But some doctors say this recent COVID surge calls into question a long-held myth: New COVID cases are often milder than first-time infections, but still Serious illnessSome people experience distressing symptoms without needing to go to the emergency room or be hospitalized.
“The conventional wisdom is that each time you get COVID-19, your symptoms will be milder, but I think we need to keep in mind that some people may have a much worse case scenario,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco.
“It’s like playing COVID-19 roulette” every time someone gets infected with the virus, he said.
This highlights the need to be cautious during summer travel and activities, even though the overall risk is relatively minor.
Because COVID-19 symptoms vary from person to person and depend on a variety of factors, it’s difficult to quantify how many people are now experiencing more severe symptoms compared to previous infections, but people on social media sites and elsewhere are expressing shock at how much more severe the new variants, collectively nicknamed “FLiRT,” have made them.
“I’ve had COVID a few times before but this is the worst,” one person posted. RedditThe patient reported recurring fevers, nasal congestion so severe that he could not breathe through his nose, and “severe sinus pressure and headaches, and he felt like he was going to faint and could not stand for long periods of time.”
“Previously, COVID felt like a common cold, but this strain [wreaking] “It’s a total mess,” the person wrote. “I hate to complain like this but I’m amazed at how tired I am.”
Another person I have written They say they feel like their throat hurts like a razor blade and that living is painful.
“I’m producing so much phlegm and it hurts so much to cough as my throat is literally on fire!” I have written“This is my fourth time with coronavirus and I feel like this is the worst yet.”
People who had avoided COVID-19 for more than four years were infected this summer.
After hosting a Father’s Day gathering of 12 people, one person fell ill and tested positive for the virus for the first time. Explained “I had uncontrollable chills that made my body shake and I could barely feel the tips of my fingers.”
The 42-year-old nurse has had COVID-19 four times. Said His recent illness has included “fever, cough, pressure in the head and severe pain that has affected his throat and ability to swallow.”
However, subsequent COVID-19 infections Easier recoveryFirst infected person I have written “Very mild symptoms” [that] It feels like my seasonal allergies are coming back.
Several studies support the idea that subsequent COVID infection poses additional risk. report A study of veterans published in the journal Nature Medicine found that “compared to uninfected individuals, [people]”The cumulative risk and burden of reinfection increases with each infection, increasing the risk of medical issues, hospitalization and death,” it said.
The spread of long COVID DecreasedDoctors point out that every infection carries a risk of developing the syndrome. report A report released last summer by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the prevalence of long COVID among U.S. adults was 7.5% in early June 2022, but had fallen to 6% as of mid-June 2023, still accounting for a significant percentage of the population.
There are several possible reasons why a second COVID infection could be worse than the first. For example, if someone is vaccinated in 2021, gets a booster shot at the end, gets infected in 2022, and then gets infected again in 2024. A relatively long period without exposure or booster shots could be the reason why. [their body] “You don’t have much immune memory, and the variants have changed so much anyway that it’s like your immune system has been exposed to a relatively different virus than it’s encountered before,” Chin-Hong said.
“Remind your immune system what the recent variants look like” If you don’t keep your COVID vaccine up to date, a recent infection could cause your body to have a relatively surprise reaction to the FLiRT subvariant that is now dominant across the nation.
“It’s so evolved, your body is like, ‘Oh my goodness, what is this thing I’m looking at?'” Chin Hong said.
The annual flu shot works in much the same way; it is prescribed each year in the hope of preparing the immune system against the predominant strain of the virus.
In the week ending Saturday, an estimated 70.5% of COVID samples nationwide were FLiRT variants (officially known as KP.3, KP.2 and KP.1.1), up from 54.9% a month ago. Another related variant, LB.1, is estimated to account for 14.9% of samples, up from 10% a month ago.
Immunity from previous vaccinations is still good enough to protect many people from severe illness, but without the bounce-back provided by the latest vaccine, the immune system “probably won’t be able to stop the virus going forward or neutralize it the moment it gets in before memory immunity kicks in because the virus looks so different,” Chin-Hong says.
“Meanwhile, the virus is happily infecting cells while the body tries to create new immune cells using its current memory,” he added.
It’s also worth noting that even among young adults who are considered up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, it may have been almost a year since their last dose, and vaccine effectiveness weakens over time.
a report A study published by the CDC in February found that getting the updated 2023-24 COVID vaccine provides about 54% more protection against symptomatic illness compared with not getting the vaccine. Vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic infection is higher in the first few months after getting the updated vaccine.
The vaccine continued to provide good protection against hospitalization and death.
Los Angeles County continues to see an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. During the week ending June 30, an average of 229 new COVID-19 cases were reported per day, up from 106 the previous month. Additionally, during the week ending June 29, an average of 197 new COVID-19 cases were reported per day, up from 117 the previous month. COVID-19 hospitalizations are higher than this time last year, but remain lower than the milder peak in the summer of 2023.
Officially reported cases are an undercount because they only take into account tests done in health care facilities, not tests done at home or people who didn’t get tested. In Los Angeles County, last summer’s COVID-19 surge peaked at 571 cases a day in late August, and hospital coronavirus cases peaked at 620 a day in early September.
Virus concentrations in Los Angeles County wastewater have remained relatively stable. During the week ending June 22, the most recent available data, virus concentrations in wastewater were 17% of the 2022-23 winter peak, the same as the previous week. Last summer, which peaked in early September, virus concentrations in wastewater were 38% of the previous winter’s peak.
Across California, the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests continues to rise. In the week ending July 1, 10.6% of COVID-19 tests statewide came back positive, up from 4.1% a month earlier. Last summer, the positivity rate peaked at 13.1% in late August.
Uptake has been relatively low for the COVID-19 vaccines that became available in September, and since then, 36.7% of Californians age 65 and older have received at least one dose. Has been updated Of those vaccinated, 18.5% of adults between the ages of 50 and 64 and 10% of younger adults up to 49 years old have been vaccinated.
Chin Hong said anyone who hasn’t received the latest vaccine within the past year “should consider getting it, especially the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.” Hundreds of COVID-19 deaths are being reported every week in the country, with the elderly and those with weakened immune systems most at risk.
If you get the 2023-24 vaccine now, you can still get the newer COVID vaccines that are expected to be available this fall. The CDC says Recommendation to Everyone aged six months and older will receive the updated 2024-25 version of the vaccine.
Chin Hong said the best time to get the COVID vaccination for 2024-25 would be October.
Chin Hong said even health care workers need to be reminded of proper COVID infection control protocols, such as the importance of getting tested if they feel unwell and reporting their illness to their employer.
“Everyone seems to think that COVID is normal now,” Chin-Hong said. But taking smart precautions, like deciding not to come to work if a colleague is sick and getting tested if symptoms appear, can make a big difference in keeping COVID-19 cases to a low number.
It’s also a reminder that with COVID-19 cases on the rise, it’s wise to keep a mask in your pocket in case you’re near someone who is sick, Chin Hong said.
