President Biden stood among dozens of Americans who have recently tested positive for COVID-19 amid a major summer surge in cases across the country.
Citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NBC News reported that COVID-19 cases are likely increasing in 45 states, including Illinois, and are not declining anywhere in the U.S. Since the new coronavirus surfaced in 2020, there has been a surge in cases every summer, but this year’s cases have started earlier than in recent years, as evidenced by the wastewater data.
But the numbers are not near the levels seen in other surges over the past year.
“Case numbers remain lower than the recent fall peak and the smaller peak we saw in Chicago last summer,” Dr. Mary Hayden, director of infectious diseases at Rush University Health System, told NBC Chicago.
President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday and began experiencing mild symptoms, the White House announced.
The increase in the number of infections is largely due to a series of COVID-19 strains known as the “FLiRT” variants that are spreading across the United States.
According to the CDC’s latest variant proportion data, variants identified as KP.1.1, KP.3, and KP.2 account for more than 55% of COVID cases in the U.S. The data revealed that KP.3 in particular accounts for the largest proportion of variants, accounting for 24.5% of cases.
Similarly, emergency room visits tracked through June 29th found an 18% increase in COVID-related visits over the previous week. As case numbers rise, here’s everything you need to know, including a breakdown of the most common variants, commonly reported symptoms, and the CDC’s recommendations for those with COVID.
What are COVID FLiRT variants?
These variants are subvariants of JN.1, which became dominant in December 2023 and was classified as a “variant of concern,” but the “FLiRT” variant has two changes in the spike protein compared to JN.1.
“Two changes in the spike have been observed in previous lineages, including the XBB.1.5 lineage that predominated throughout 2023 and is the basis of the 2023-2024 vaccine formulation,” the CDC reported.
Health officials said there is no indication that the new strain causes more severe illness than other strains, but “CDC will continue to monitor community transmission of the virus and the effectiveness of vaccines against this strain.”
Megan L. Ranney, dean of the Yale School of Public Health, tells WebMD that the changes in the spike protein are cause for concern.
Are FLiRT variants more contagious?
The KP.3 variant quickly became dominant, overtaking KP.2 as the most prevalent strain in the United States within a matter of weeks, according to the CDC report.
“It’s still early days, but our initial impression is that this variant is significantly more transmissible,” Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told TODAY.com.
Schaffner said some lab studies suggest the FLiRT variant has mutated enough that immunity from a previous vaccination or previous infection may not confer complete protection.
I’m not feeling well. What symptoms should I look out for?
Dr Lakshmi Harasyamani, chief clinical officer at Endeavour Health, said the main symptoms associated with COVID have not changed despite the spread of the latest variants.
If you suspect you have COVID-19, the CDC says you may experience these symptoms:
Cough, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, change in smell, stuffy nose, fever or chills, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea
Last year, Chicago-area doctors said they were seeing a shift in the most common symptoms patients were reporting as the JN.1 variant became dominant.
Dr. Chantelle Tingfang, a family medicine physician at Provident Hospital of Cook County’s Senstac Health Center, noted at the time that many of the cases she saw had few symptoms of fever, body aches, or chills, but more often reported sore throat, fatigue, and cough.
“Some patients experience loss of appetite, loss of taste and smell, so it depends,” she said. “One patient was just extremely tired. She felt like she couldn’t do much. That’s when I realized it wasn’t that. It’s not just coughing and shortness of breath, but those are the symptoms.”
She encouraged people to see a doctor if symptoms don’t improve after the recommended isolation period.
What are the current CDC guidelines?
According to the latest guidelines, people with COVID-19 no longer need to stay away from others for five days, effectively eliminating the five-day quarantine recommendation. Officials updated their guidelines in March to reflect those for other respiratory infections.
If your symptoms are mild and improving, and it’s been a day since you had a fever, you may be able to return to work or your usual activities, but the CDC still recommends that anyone with symptoms stay home.
“It is recommended that people return to normal activities once their symptoms have improved overall for at least 24 hours and fever, if present, has subsided without the use of fever-reducing medication,” the guidance states.
Even after activities resume, the CDC recommends “additional prevention strategies” such as wearing masks and maintaining social distance for an additional five days.
The agency is encouraging people to prevent infection in the first place by taking measures such as getting vaccinated, washing their hands and getting more fresh air outdoors.
Can I still get a free COVID test?
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the federal ICATT program offers free COVID-19 testing to uninsured people, and here is a locator you can use to find a testing site near you.
Dr. Mary Hayden, director of infectious diseases at Rush University Health System, also noted that free options remain available for the uninsured through local health departments and community health clinics.
