Summer COVID-19 Surge Rises Again Across the US, Though Milder Than Prior Waves
核心洞察
COVID-19 (搜索) cases are rising again across the United States, with the virus spreading most in the South and West while also increasing in the Northeast and Midwest.
Experts describe this summer's wave as milder than previous years, with growing immunity from prior infections and vaccinations reducing disease severity.
Older adults, infants, and immunocompromised people remain most vulnerable to severe COVID-19 (搜索), according to epidemiologist Caitlin Rivers of Johns Hopkins University (搜索).
COVID-19 (搜索) cases are significantly increasing again across the United States, with health experts warning that the country is facing another summer surge. The virus is spreading most in the South and West, while cases continue to increase in the Midwest and Northeast. Despite the rising numbers, experts note that overall infection levels remain relatively low compared to previous waves.
"We're now in the midst of a growing summer surge of COVID here in the United States," said Dr. John Brooks, an infectious disease doctor at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., who previously worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (搜索). "I think most of us kind of feel like it's fading away and are certainly very grateful for that. But nationally we're seeing it ticking up pretty much everywhere."
A Milder Summer Wave
This summer's wave appears to be following a trend seen in recent years, with fewer people being hospitalized and fewer deaths. Experts believe that growing immunity from previous infections and vaccinations may be helping to reduce the severity of the disease.
"What we're seeing is very likely evidence of growing herd immunity if you will," Brooks said. "More and more people have had one or more infections that give them some immunity against the virus and have had more than one vaccination, or maybe both. And all of that really has begun to offer us a lot of protection."
Still, COVID-19 (搜索) can cause significant illness, with some people experiencing symptoms for one or two weeks. This can lead to missed work, school, and travel plans, and can still send some people to emergency rooms, cause hospitalizations, and even sometimes cause death.
Who Remains Most at Risk
Older adults, infants, and immunosuppressed people remain particularly vulnerable to severe COVID-19 (搜索), according to epidemiologist Caitlin Rivers of Johns Hopkins University (搜索) in Baltimore, Md.
"COVID-19 (搜索) is still dangerous, particularly for older adults, infants and people who are immunocompromised," Rivers said. "In a typical office, if you have 20 colleagues, it's likely that one or two of them have some degree of immunocompromise. So it's very common that people have risk factors that make COVID-19 dangerous."
An Unusual Seasonal Pattern
Unlike influenza, which usually peaks during winter, COVID-19 (搜索) has developed seasonal waves during both winter and summer. Researchers remain unable to fully explain this pattern.
"It's a big mystery as far as I'm concerned. It is the only seasonal respiratory virus that has a summer season," Rivers said. "To my knowledge, we don't know what is causing this seasonality."
Vaccines and a New Post-Exposure Treatment
Experts continue to encourage individuals to stay up to date with COVID-19 (搜索) vaccinations. The next updated vaccines are likely to become accessible soon and are specifically designed to target the dominant circulating strain. Rivers noted that the next shots look like a good match for the dominant strain of COVID that is circulating.
Unlike previous years, the CDC has not issued updated recommendations for the vaccines because of litigation over the Trump administration's efforts to overhaul immunizations in the U.S. The administration no longer recommends that everyone aged 6 months and older routinely get an annual shot. However, major medical groups still recommend vaccination, and insurers have indicated they will keep covering vaccines. The shots are likely to remain available for free through government programs such as the Vaccines for Children program.
"The message is that COVID vaccine and flu vaccine will be available, they're covered by insurers, they're recommended by medical societies. People should get them and get them for their kids," said Clare Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers.
A new drug called Xocova is also available for people after exposure to COVID-19 (搜索) and may help reduce the chance of developing illness. "It is something for people to just have in the back of their mind," Brooks said, noting that it is expected to be a useful tool in hospitals and nursing homes when exposures happen to vulnerable people.