Amidst an anticipated summer surge in COVID-19 cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than half of the country has reported “very high” levels of the virus in wastewater viral activity.
Here’s what you need to know about COVID transmission in Delaware and the most recent health and safety guidance.
Overview of COVID activity
The CDC says that “wastewater (sewage) can be tested to detect traces of infectious diseases circulating in a community, even if people don’t have symptoms.”
This data also serves as an early warning sign that infections may be increasing or decreasing.
As of Aug. 9, the most recent CDC data available, 27 states have reported “very high” levels of wastewater viral activity.
Delaware is not one of those states. The First State is one of 17 states reporting “high” levels of wastewater viral activity. Other categories are “moderate,” “low,” “minimal” and “insufficient date” or no data.”
No states are reporting “low” or “minimal” levels of wastewater viral activity as of the latest dataset.
ICYMI:Why Delaware has the 9th-longest ER wait times. See how we compare with nearby states
Which COVID-19 variants are circulating the most?
“FLiRT” is being used to describe “a whole family of different variants – including KP.2, JN1.7 and any other variants starting with KP or JN – that appear to have independently picked up the same set of mutations,” according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
They are all descendants of the JN.1 variant, which was been the dominant variant in the U.S. for several months before KP.2 took over, followed by KP.3.
Now, KP.3.1.1 is the most dominant variant, according to the CDC’s Nowcast tracker.
What are the symptoms of COVID?
People with COVID-19 can experience a wide range of symptoms from mild reactions to severe illness. Symptoms may appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus, according to the CDC.
Possible COVID-19 symptoms include:
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Congestion or runny nose
- New loss of taste or smell
As new COVID-19 variants arise, symptoms may change and can vary depending on vaccination status, according to the CDC.
FLiRT details:How to know if you have COVID-19 this summer, what to do if you test positive with FLiRT
If you have any of the following symptoms, these are emergency warning signs for COVID-19 and the CDC advises you to immediately seek emergency medical attention by calling 911 or calling ahead to your local emergency facility:
- Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, nail beds or lips, depending on skin tone
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- Inability to stay awake
Before getting treated, be sure to notify the phone operator that you are seeking care for someone who has or may have COVID-19.
Fall 2024 COVID vaccine
In the spring, public health officials like the World Health Organization and the Federal Drug Administration were brainstorming the formula for updated vaccines that will be available in the coming fall, using recent infection rate information and research to determine the best virus strain to target. New variants can, and are likely to, pop up after a vaccine recommendation is made, but the overall goal of the vaccine is to match as many circulating variants as closely as possible.
In early June, both the FDA and the WHO announced vaccine guidance for the fall 2024 COVID-19 vaccine.
The FDA reported a decrease in effectiveness of the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine formula, the vaccine still available to the public, against COVID-19 caused by JN.1 lineage viruses.
“Available data suggest that updating the current formula of COVID-19 vaccines to more closely match currently circulating JN.1 lineage viruses is warranted for the anticipated 2024-2025 respiratory virus season in the U.S.,” said the FDA.
The WHO adds that nearly all circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants reported in publicly available databases are JN.1-derived variants.
What to do if you are behind on COVID vaccinations
As the virus “continues to circulate and evolve with important genetic and antigenic evolution of the spike protein,” the WHO advises using a monovalent JN.1 lineage as the antigen in upcoming formulas of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Until the updated vaccine is released, the CDC recommended in February that adults 65 years of age and older get an additional dose of the current COVID-19 vaccine if they last received one in the fall.
Children aged 6 months to 4 years old may need multiple doses of the vaccine to be up to date, including at least one dose of the updated 2023-2024 vaccine. Everyone aged 5 years old and older should get one dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine.
People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may get additional doses of the updated vaccine.
The agency adds that there is no “preferential recommendation” for one COVID-19 vaccine over another. Pfizer-BioNtech, Moderna and Novavax all have updated versions of the vaccine and are safe for use.
Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys’tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.
Discover more from PressNewsAgency
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.