Covid-19 cases are climbing

Hospitalizations for Covid-19 are increasing for the very first time after the beginning of 2023, but health care professionals and the White House seem optimistic that the U.S. is prepared for handling the viral infection as the fall season approaches.

Being aware of how many illnesses are propagating around the country is now more challenging than it was previously in the epidemic since state data reporting requirements associated with the public medical emergency, which concluded in May, have been eliminated.

However, a 10.3% rise in weekly Covid-19 inpatient admissions to 7,109 in mid-July serves as a reminder because the virus continues to be a problem for public health.

The administration of Joe Biden has attempted to present the pandemic as officially defeated.

They discontinued the public health emergency, dismissed of the highest-ranking Covid-19 White House official, and kept attempting to reassure people that the virus that caused it is no longer a threat like it was when the president took office.

The Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy and HHS have been keeping a watchful eye on the virus, the White House stated, adding that the increase is not unexpected.

White House spokeswoman Kelly Scully told POLITICO magazine in an email that “the Biden-Harris Administration has made historic progress on our nation’s ability to effectively handle COVID-19 so that it currently no longer meaningfully interrupts the way we live in this country.”

According to Brett Giroir, who served as Donald Trump’s Covid-19 testing czar, the modest rise in cases should not be viewed as a worrying pattern.

And vaccine producers are working to get ready to introduce new injections for the fall season.

Scott Becker, CEO of the Association of Public Health Laboratories, remarked, “To a certain extent, I’ve been thinking of this as the new normal.” “We did not expect variants to just vanish; therefore, the virus is behaving like viruses do.

In order to better prepare for any fall rise in respiratory infections, we have been keeping an eye on everything that happens.

What you should know about the increase in Covid cases is as follows:

How concerning is the increase in hospital admissions?

Hospital admissions are still very low compared to all-time highs.

Covid-19 is not putting as much of a strain on healthcare systems as it did during the first three years of the epidemic, according to Akin Demehin, senior director of quality and patient safety at the American Hospital Association, which represents hospitals.

This, according to Demehin, “potentially reflects the fact that the majority of people have at least some level of immunity conferred by vaccination, prior Covid-19 infection, or both, along with the wide availability of treatments that considerably reduce the chances of demanding a emergency department visit or hospital admission for Covid-19.”

Is the current upsurge distinct from previous ones?

According to Phil Febbo, chief medical officer of Illumina, one significant difference is the fact that there isn’t a new variant of concern that is quickly expanding.

We observed these waves of extremely prevalent particular variants over the first two and a half years of the pandemic, according to Febbo. “Alpha came first, followed by Delta, and Omicron.

We are seeing subvariants, and Omicron has truly been the most prevalent variant for over twelve months now.

The Omicron versions continue to act the same way according to state pathologist and public health officer Dean Sidelinger of Oregon.

In regards of Covid-19, “we’re not facing the same sort of crisis that we experienced two years ago,” Sidelinger said. “Much more people have received vaccinations.

There are many more folks who recovered from illness and some level of immunity.”

Who will pay for the improved Covid-19 shot when it becomes available?

Following a recommendation from the FDA’s external vaccinations and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee in June that the shots should target the XBB.1.5 Omicron strain, vaccine producers are trying to prepare revised monovalent Covid-19 vaccinations for the fall.

The Affordable Care Act requires health insurance to pay for preventative services like immunizations, so many people will still be able to get the updated dose for free.

Medicare Part B will also provide access for older folks.

Additionally, HHS is launching a $1.1 billion initiative to guarantee that people without insurance can obtain Covid-19 vaccinations and treatments at specific pharmacies.

Will testing market demand experience another uptick?

According to CVS Pharmacy spokesperson Amy Thibault, retail pharmacies are observing a “slight uptick” in the demand for point-of-care testing and at-home test purchasing.

According to Thibault, “We have a sufficient supply to meet the testing needs of our customers and patients.”

Susan Van Meter, president of the American Clinical Laboratory Association, agreed, stating that clinical laboratories have adequate capacity and are keeping an eye on the spike.

Who will be a major target for future public health threats?

People in high-risk categories should stay up with their Covid-19 immunizations and think about using a mask in some situations due to a rise in the incidence of Covid-19, according to

Céline Gounder, a KFF Health editor-at-large for public health and an expert in infectious diseases

“I think your risk of severe Covid is quite low for the general healthy individual who is not elderly and who has been vaccinated,” Gounder added. “You could still become unwell.

Although that may be uncomfortable, the main purpose of immunization is to keep you out of the hospital.

Gounder continued, “There is tension between simply considering the impact of the virus on one’s personal health and its influence on other individuals.

Communicating that Covid-19 is not an on-and-off switch continues to be a struggle in the U.S.

Jerome Adams, who was the U.S. Surgeon General during the administration of Donald Trump, wrote on Monday, “Our collective failure in recognizing this middle ground continues to cause avoidable injury and cost lives.”