Jul 14, 2025 - Health

A new summer COVID wave may be on its way

Tina Reed

Illustration of a repeating pattern of hand sanitizer bottles and masks. — Illustration: Megan Robinson/Axios

Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise or likely rising across half of the U.S. including much of the south as well as the West Coast, according to a weekly update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Why it matters: The data suggests another summer of illness could be in the offing as people get more people lose protection from vaccination, natural immunity wanes and the virus keeps mutating.

A CDC report posted last week shows COVID circulation in the U.S. has had two consistent annual peaks — in late summer and winter — since 2020.

What they're saying: COVID-19 cases are growing in 25 states, including Florida, Texas, California and Ohio, per the CDC. They're likely growing in more than a dozen others.

COVID-19 activity detected through wastewater surveillance and emergency department visits for COVID-19 remain low across the country, while influenza and RSV visits are "very low."

What to watch: The most dominant COVID variant circulating in the U.S. is NB.1.8.1, nicknamed "nimbus", per the CDC.

The variant is more transmissible than prior variants and has been nicknamed "razor blade throat" by some, ABC News reported.

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A new summer COVID wave may be on its way

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