Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jun 22, 2024 6 months, 5 hours, 32 minutes ago
COVID-19 News: Early Summer COVID Wave Takes Hold
A summer wave of COVID-19 infections is hitting the United States earlier than expected, with a notable rise in cases across the western states. The emergence of a new variant, LB.1, is causing significant concern as it may become the dominant strain of the virus.
Concerns Rise as KP.3 and LB.1 Variants Surge in the United States
Federal data indicates that no states or territories are experiencing a slowdown in COVID-19 infections, marking the first time in months that the virus is on the rise nationwide.
https://www.cdc.gov/forecast-outbreak-analytics/about/rt-estimates.html
Rising Indicators and Regional Impacts
Key indicators of the virus's spread are worsening, especially in the western region, where wastewater data - a precursor to rising case numbers - shows levels near the threshold deemed "high" by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/rv/COVID19-nationaltrend.html
Nursing homes in this region have seen a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases, and emergency room visits for COVID-19 in HHS Region 9, which includes Arizona through Hawaii, have spiked to an average of 1.23%, the highest since early February.
https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/covid19/ltc-report-overview.html
Historically, surges in COVID-19 cases follow a spring lull, though the timing varies each year. In 2023, the nationwide increase began in late July, with a peak in emergency room visits occurring around late August and early September.
Emergence of KP.3 and LB.1 Variants
The CDC is closely monitoring two new variants, KP.3 and LB.1, which are spreading rapidly. KP.3 currently accounts for approximately one-third of cases nationwide, up from 25% two weeks ago, while LB.1 makes up 17.5% of cases. The CDC's Nowcast data tracker indicates that the KP.3 variant is rising to 33.1% of cases, while KP.2 stands at 20.8%. The JN.1 variant, once dominant, now accounts for only 1.6% of cases.
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-summary
Both the KP.3 and LB.1 variants are gradually displacing the previously dominant KP.2 variant. These variants share a common ancestor with the JN.1 strain, which caused a significant wave of infections last winter. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently decided to use KP.2 as the basis for the updated COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer this fall, hoping it will provide better protection against the current strains.
The rapid rise of these new variants underscores the virus's continuing evolution and the challenge of predicting its trajectory.
Characteristics and Symptoms of the KP.3 Variant
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KP.3, like its predecessors JN.1, KP.1.1, and KP.2, is a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant.
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/forget-about-sars-cov-2-flirt-variants-kp-1-1-and-kp-2-new-fluqe-variant-kp-3-expected-to-rapidly-become-globally-predominant-wreaking-havoc
According to CDC spokesperson Rosa Norman, the symptoms associated with KP.3 are similar to those seen with JN.1, including fever, chills, cough, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, headache, muscle aches, difficulty breathing, fatigue, loss of taste or smell, brain fog, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and may appear two to 14 days after exposure. However, many people are complaining of lingering body aches, fatigue and also cognitive issues even weeks after mild infections.
The KP.3 and LB.1 variants also seems to be driving hospitalizations among the elderly while the healthy are witnessing lingering symptoms that do not seem to resolve even weeks later.
Scientists also warn that one of LB.1's mutations - a change called S:S31del, which KP.3 and JN.1 does not have - makes the LB.1 variant to be able to spread faster.
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.05.597664v1
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-news-besides-kp-3-another-newly-emerged-sars-cov-2-variant-lb-1-poses-a-major-threat-in-coming-months
Protecting Against the New Variants
The U.S. CDC still recommends that everyone aged six months and older receive the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine to protect against serious illness. (How true that is …we dare not comment!) The U.S. CDC still claims that vaccination remains a key strategy in mitigating the impact of new variants and preventing severe outcomes.
Local
COVID-19 News coverages however show that vaccine take-up rates are at the lowest and many Americans now skeptical about the efficacy and safety of the COVID-19 vaccines.
Current COVID-19 Statistics
As of mid-June 2024, COVID-19 test positivity rates have risen to 6.6%. Despite this increase, COVID-19 related deaths and hospitalizations remain low compared to the early days of the pandemic. For example, on March 28, 2020, there were 3,211 reported COVID-19 related deaths in the United States, which rose to 10,113 the following week. In contrast, there have been 132 deaths reported as of June 8, 2024.
Emergency department visits and hospitalizations are also rising at concerning rates across the United States.
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home
The Unpredictable Nature of COVID-19
Unlike the predictable patterns of flu and RSV, COVID-19 continues to present challenges in forecasting its spread. According to Dr Ruth Link-Gelles, head of the CDC's COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness research, the virus's behavior does not follow a set seasonal pattern, making it difficult to predict the timing and intensity of future waves.
Conclusion
As the KP.3 and LB.1 variants spread, vigilance and prayers are essential to managing COVID-19. The early arrival of the summer wave serves as a reminder of the virus's unpredictable nature and the need for ongoing public health efforts to protect vulnerable populations and prevent severe outcomes.
The latest
COVID-19 News, keep on logging to Thailand Medical News.
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/health-alert-issued-for-spanish-balearic-islands-as-covid-19-surges
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-hospitalization-rate-doubles-within-a-week-in-taiwan
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/united-kingdom-faces-new-summer-covid-19-wave-as-hospital-admissions-surge
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-resurgence-in-france-rising-hospitalizations-expert-warnings-and-public-health-concerns
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