Current Guidelines On Vaccines, Symptoms, Isolation Period

The California Department of Public Health has reported a surge in COVID-19 infections in the state over the summer.

Week-by-week results shown at the end of June emergency room In California, cases increased by about 23% compared to the previous week, Test positivity rate 8%, the highest for this time since the summer of 2022. death rate This is also an increase of 14% compared to the previous weeks.

Since the start of the pandemic, 107,973 Californians have been vaccinated. died of covid-19From October 2023 to June, 3,654 people Died of covid.

However, Dr. John Swartzberg, clinical professor emeritus at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, told the Mercury News This year’s summer surge is still smaller than the surge of COVID-19 infections California is projected to experience in 2023.

“It’s nothing like wintertime; it’s not even as much as a year ago,” he said.

Another good data point? Deaths in California this spring reached record lows, including This is the first day in over four years when there were no Covid deaths in the stateAs reported by KFF Health News.

Are COVID-19 rates rising across the country this summer?

Since the cases COVID-19 With a new variant of the disease emerging across the country this summer, causing a surge in cases of the disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending updated vaccines ahead of the fall and winter virus season.

“Plan now to get both up-to-date flu and COVID vaccines for yourself and your family this fall, ahead of respiratory virus season,” CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a statement Thursday.

The CDC is tracking the evolution of different COVID-19 variants, including the front-runner KP.3 and the growing LB.1, the newest variant circulating in the U.S. As of June 22, test positivity had increased by 1.4%, according to data collected by the agency.

Here’s what to know about COVID-19 in California and the U.S., plus the CDC’s latest vaccination guidance.

COVID-19 cases are on the rise this summer:Insights on the surge

Should you get the latest COVID-19 vaccine?

The CDC recommends the following: Everyone All children 6 months and older, with some exceptions, will be given the updated 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine to prevent the disease, regardless of whether you have been previously vaccinated against the virus or not.

Should you get the latest flu vaccine?

The agency also recommends updated 2024-2025 flu vaccines.

Most people only need one dose of flu vaccine each season, and September and October are the best time for most people to get vaccinated.

Can you get the COVID and flu vaccine at the same time?

The CDC says it’s safe to get both the COVID-19 and flu vaccines at the same time.

What are the current variants of Covid?

For a two-week period beginning June 9 and running through June 22, the C.D.C. Nowcast Data Tracker Estimates of COVID-19 variants are shown, with the KP.3 variant responsible for 33.1% of positive infections, the KP.2 variant at 20.8%, and the new variant LB.1 at 17.5% of infections.

According to the data, the JN.1 variant accounted for only 1.6% of the positive infections.

What is the LB1 version?

The LB.1 variant is the newest COVID-19 variant circulating in the United States.

Based on the information currently available to the CDC, there is no indication that the LB.1 variant poses a serious threat.

“There is currently no evidence that LB.1 causes more severe disease,” CDC spokesman Dave Daigle previously told USA Today.

What are the current symptoms of COVID-19?

here’s one Wide range of symptoms which may indicate a COVID-19 infection, and may appear 2–14 days after exposure to the virus. Symptoms may include:

fever or chills
cough
shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Tiredness
muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
sore throat
Nasal congestion or runny nose
nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea

The CDC says you should seek medical help if you have the following symptoms:

Difficulty in breathing
Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
New illusion
inability to wake up or stay awake
pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nails

How do Covid and flu symptoms compare?

Flu and COVID-19 have some similar symptoms, but flu symptoms The CDC says the flu can come on suddenly. People with the flu often experience some or all of the following symptoms:

Fever or feeling feverish/chills
cough
sore throat
runny or stuffy nose
muscle or body aches
Headache
Tiredness

Some people may experience vomiting or diarrhea, though the CDC says this is more common in children than adults.

What is the CDC’s recommended isolation period for COVID-19?

The CDC’s updated respiratory virus guidance recommends that people stay home and away from others until they recover. At least 24 hours They will be placed in isolation only after they no longer have a fever and their symptoms have improved overall. This is a change from previous guidelines, which recommended a minimum isolation period of five days for COVID-19.

Instead, the CDC urges taking extra precautions and using prevention strategies over the next five days, including: