We all want the pandemic in our rearview mirror. Cities, states, and countries who proclaimed victory are rethinking calling this public health emergency over. Today the BA.5 strain makes up nearly 80% of the US cases. More alarming is a new XXB version which combines known variants into a new immune-evasive strain, according to a recent article in Forbes. This new strain is present in Asian countries and will certainly be a global threat in coming months. The Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center is an outstanding tracking tool to add to your bookmarks.
Influenza or COVID?
We continue to see significant virus spikes with many consumers questioning is it flu or COVID? According to the CDC, the distinguishing characteristic is the length of illness. Flu infections typically last one to four days and COVID last, on average, fourteen days. Simple, right? Wrong, the consequences of infection vary greatly from person to person. People with multiple chronic health conditions or weak immune systems are at risk for life-threatening illness.
Protect Yourself & Others from Getting Sick
- Get vaccinated as soon as possible. Flu and the new bi-variant booster are effective in preventing serious illness and are recommended for everyone 5 years of age and older. In fact, the CDC approves of getting both flu and the bivariant booster at the same appointment.
- If you are fully vaccinated you can resume activities, except whereby federal, state, local, or business and workplace guidelines instruct otherwise.
- If you are not fully vaccinated and aged 2 or older, you should wear a mask in indoor public places. In general, you do not need to wear a mask in outdoor settings however consider a mask if the space is crowded and close contact will continue for a prolonged exposure. Remember there is no way to distinguish those who are and not vaccinated so treat all casual encounters as an opportunity for exposure.
- Having a weak immune system puts a person at high risk of infection and may not be protected even if they are fully vaccinated. Take precautions like wearing a N95 mask and limit exposure to large crowds are advised by the CDC.
- Everyone should avoid touching your face with unwashed hands. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of your elbow. Clean and disinfect surfaces and things you touch often.
Tracking Viruses
Check out the CDC NowCast interactive tracking site for all covid variants by region. Nowcast uses mutations, lineage, variant, genomic sequencing, and genomic surveillance to build the most accurate representation of disease occurrence. I recommend following this link to geek out on the epidemiology and genetic background on this work.
Know Your Risk
We know that the fighting these viruses requires action at the community level. Vulnerable people walk among us every day. The need to wash our hands thoroughly, maintain social distancing, wear face coverings reduce the spread of flu and COVID Please do you part, get boosted and vaccinated, wear a mask if you have the sniffles, wash your hands, and stay home when you are sick.
Yours in Health,
