U.S. Medical News - Emergency visits and wastewater data signal uptick of COVID-19 in Michigan
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Aug 06, 2024 1 month, 1 week, 3 days, 7 hours, 8 minutes ago
U.S. Medical News: Summer Surge in COVID-19 Cases in Michigan
As summer progresses, Michigan is experiencing a noticeable uptick in COVID-19 cases. This trend aligns with a nationwide increase, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The rise in cases has been evident through emergency room visits and wastewater data, which have become crucial indicators in tracking the virus.
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home
U.S. Medical News - Emergency visits and wastewater data signal uptick of COVID-19 in Michigan
Wastewater Surveillance as a Key Indicator
Dr Matthew Sims, the director of Infectious Disease Research at Corewell Health in Royal Oak, emphasized the importance of wastewater monitoring. "Many of the summer colds now are not rhinovirus (RV), which they used to be, they’re COVID," Sims told
U.S. Medical News journalists. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has reported an increase in COVID-19 indicators, particularly in wastewater and emergency department visits. However, these increases are from previously low levels.
https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/stats/outbreak-reporting
Challenges in Data Collection
The current challenge in tracking COVID-19 cases lies in the decline of routine testing and data reporting. "What they’re following right now is wastewater samples because that’s the only predictive thing that we have right now. People aren’t getting tested as often," said Sims.
https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/rv/COVID19-currentlevels.html
He noted that home test results are often not reported, and many states have stopped collecting or reporting data altogether. Despite these challenges, Michigan continues to collect and update COVID-19 data regularly.
Recent Trends and Statistics
Sims and his team are closely monitoring COVID-19 trends in Michigan. "In Michigan, according to the CDC, we may be rising," he said. "We definitely saw a little bit of an increase, earlier, over the last few weeks, but right now it seems to be stable." Since June, reported COVID-19 cases in Michigan have steadily increased. MDHHS data shows that confirmed cases rose from 833 during the week of June 9-15 to 2,701 for the week of July 14-20. However, by the last full week of July, the number slightly decreased to 2,571 cases.
The KP.3.1.1 Variant
The recent rise in cases is largely attributed to the KP.3.1.1 variant. "KP.3.1.1 is the strain that's most common right now, and right behind tha
t is KP.3.1," Sims explained. He added that the difference between these strains is one specific mutation, with the two variants together accounting for about 40% of all cases.
The Importance of Boosters
In light of the increasing cases, health experts recommend considering a COVID-19 booster shot. "Unless you are immunosuppressed, they’re recommending the once-a-year booster around the same time you get the flu shot," Sims advised. He also mentioned that it remains to be seen whether the booster will be the same this year or if there will be changes. "They keep saying that the current vaccine still works." (As far as
Thailand Medical News is concerned, we have not seen any real non-adulterated and concrete data that shows that these boosters actually prevent disease severity and lowers risk of mortality. We have however seen numerous of adverse issues arising from the usage of these boosters.)
As Michigan navigates this uptick in COVID-19 cases, staying informed and adhering to health guidelines remains crucial. Regular updates from MDHHS and ongoing monitoring of wastewater data will continue to play a significant role in understanding and managing the spread of the virus.
For the latest
U.S. Medical News and detailed information on COVID-19 trends, visit
Thailand Medical News site.
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