Zoe Mckey, Staff writer
COVID-19 levels in the United States have been increasing for several weeks, driven by new variants and resulting in an annual summer surge. Despite the scaling back of COVID-19 surveillance since the end of the US public health emergency, available data indicate a consistent upward trend in infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that infections are likely rising in at least 38 states, with wastewater surveillance showing low viral activity but increasing hospitalizations and deaths. The West and South regions are particularly affected, with viral levels in the West returning to February levels.
The rise in Covid-19 during the summer has become a recurring pattern, but experts caution that the virus remains unpredictable. Wastewater SCAN data suggest this summer’s wave began earlier and reached levels similar to last summer’s peak. The new variants, especially KP.3 and KP.2, now dominate new infections in the US. The FDA has recommended updating vaccines to target these variants, with new vaccines expected between mid-August and late September. The CDC advises everyone aged six months and older to receive the updated vaccine for the 2024-25 season, coinciding with flu and RSV vaccination to reduce overall disease incidence.
