Even though the official declaration of the end of the COVID-19 emergency was made in May, it seems as if there are still some concerns that doctors want you to be on the lookout for, when it comes to the virus.
Based on data from the New York State Department of Health, COVID cases have spiked by 55% since the last week, averaging 824 reported cases per day. A new variant called EG.5 or Eris has become a dominant strain, accounting for around 17% of COVID cases across the county, according to the CDC.
One health commissioner states that the good news in all of this is that there is nothing suggesting it’s becoming more transmissible or fatal.
When it comes to COVID on a national scale, the CDC recorded 8,000 hospital admissions for the virus in the week of July 22, marking a 12% increase from the previous week. Data also revealed that, since the pandemic started, there has been an annual uptick in cases during the winter.
Health experts are concerned that we’re not as prepared for new variants that may arise.
“The most frightening thing is if the virus was more deadly,” says Anna Berthteyn, an assistant professor in the Department of Population Health.
Another challenging aspect that frustrates health experts is the lack of testing. There once was a time when COVID testing was readily available, from drive-thru rapid tests to at-home tests. Just this summer, the Biden administration stopped sending out free test kits. Health experts believe that without testing, it will be difficult for people to know if what they have is COVID.
