Public health officials have noticed a concerning rise in Covid cases across 7 US states over the past few weeks, the first significant upswing since last winter. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that levels are categorized as “very high” in California, Arkansas, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon and Texas based on wastewater surveillance.
The state of California, home to over 40 million residents, is grappling with increasing infections. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass recently tested positive, underscoring the growing community spread. Nationwide, daily case numbers have jumped meaningfully as well – from an average of 215 new cases on June 26th to over 307 infections a day by early July according to the latest CDC statistics.
Experts attribute this surge to two emerging variants, called FLiRT and LB.1, that are more transmissible than prior strains. While these subvariants seem to cause typically mild illness, their higher infectiousness has enabled a resurgence only a few months since the last major wave subsided post-winter. Those in high-risk demographics like seniors have been urged to stay up to date with the latest bivalent booster shots.
Doctors are reminding the public to continue exercising basic safety protocols. Masking indoors and avoiding crowded gatherings, especially for residents of severely impacted regions, can help curb transmission rates. Testing promptly if symptoms develop and isolating until fever subsides have also been advised. With cases again on the rise after a lull, vigilance remains important to stem further rises in Covid infections across the United States.
