Mapped: Another hot COVID summer
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COVID-19 cases are growing or likely growing in 45 states and territories, and more than half of the states have virus levels that are "very high" or "high" as a summertime wave expands, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Why it matters: The prevalence of COVID is especially high in the West, where test positivity in the region comprising Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada stood at 15.6% and viral activity in wastewater has been rising over the past month, according to the agency.
- More than 70% of infections come from KP variants that are descendants of the highly contagious JN.1 strain, which surged over the winter, and are among the so-called FLiRT variants.
Threat level: COVID-19 cases have risen in the U.S. every summer, usually around July 4 travel.
- While hospitalizations remain low, the summertime surge poses a risk to the elderly, immunocompromised individuals, and those with respiratory or cardiac conditions.
- As people get more out-of-date with vaccination and the virus mutates, the risk of a severe wave becomes greater.
State of play: The latest COVID vaccines target an Omicron subvariant that played itself out last year but still offer some protection against the prevailing variants.
- The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months old and up receive updated vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax.
What's next: Drugmakers are eyeing combination flu-COVID-19 vaccines that would offer more convenience and protection against two respiratory viruses.
