COVID-19 remains widespread in Connecticut, according to health experts citing wastewater data and hospitalization numbers.
For some, COVID-19 is a thing of the past, something to get over.
“I’m just trying my best to look out for people and take care of myself,” said Ceri Plajis of West Hartford.
“There’s going to be new variants and new lineages that emerge and we’re going to have to deal with that,” said George Nassau of West Hartford.
But for others, like one educator we spoke with, COVID-19 still has a daily impact.
“We’re always concerned that even as kids come back and staff come back, there’s still going to be some spread because we’re still going through this cycle of people still being absent,” the educator said.
“The key is, if you get sick, make sure you don’t spread it to other people,” said Dr. Ulysses Wu, chief epidemiologist at Hartford HealthCare.
Dr. Wu said the seasonal COVID surge is a little earlier this year, and that’s borne out by increases in ventilator use, ICU stays and general hospitalizations.
“We know that hospitalizations are just the tip of the iceberg and there are vast numbers of cases that are unreported, untested or asymptomatic,” Wu said. “Following common sense is the best thing we can do. We don’t want to pretend this disease doesn’t exist, and we don’t want to stay home.”
With the new school year just around the corner, the state will be following CDC guidance for the new school year.
This year’s general guidelines for illness are to wash your hands, ventilate the room, and stay home if you’re sick.
CDC guidance recommends wearing a mask if you are around someone with symptoms or if you prefer.
Public health officials also recommend getting a second COVID-19 vaccination this fall.
“If you’ve just had COVID-19, it’s probably advisable to get the COVID-19 vaccination within three months of your infection,” said Dr. Manisha Juthani, director of public health.
Hartford HealthCare is encouraging people to get vaccinated this fall for RSV and influenza in addition to COVID-19, after seeing an increase in hospitalizations for those three illnesses last fall.