Even though the state and federal public health emergencies are over it doesn’t mean COVID is over or that we’re not getting reports of illness. Labs and clinicians that find a case of COVID are still supposed to report that data to the state and county health departments. The state and county also still get some COVID hospitalization data. So, what are they finding this Summer?
EG.5 strain of COVID-19 has been increasing in Arizona
Not much really. Throughout the course of the pandemic, we’ve seen pretty consistent surges of infection every six months… consistent with community neutralizing antibody titers (which wane after 6 months). T-cell immunity lasts a lot longer and protects well against severe disease. Nationwide, COVID hospitalizations have been up slightly in the last couple weeks (12%) but in Arizona it’s down about 25%.
The burden in hospital emergency departments these days is due to dehydration and heat-related illnesses.
Gov. Hobbs declares heat emergency in 3 Arizona counties
It’s still possible we will observe an upswing in infections in the next month or two… or it could be that the pattern has changed and will change to a pattern more like cold viruses and influenza.
Nationally, the Omicron strain called XBB.1.9.2 has taken the top spot in the US, accounting for about 17% of new COVID-19 cases. In the UK, EG.5.1, nicknamed “Eris,” accounts for about 15% of COVID-19 cases, making it the second most prevalent variant there. The rise of EG.5.1 is also notable in Asia, where it was originally detected.
Symptoms of EG.5.1 are similar to the common cold or allergies, with sore throat, runny nose, clogged nose, sneezing, dry cough, and headache as the leading symptoms. Shortness of breath, loss of smell, and fever are not on the list.
Meanwhile, the FDA’s expert advisory committee (VRBPAC) is recommending that the US shift to a monovalent booster shot this fall. That monovalent shot would drop the old ancestral strain antigen and strictly focus on the XBB-lineage of the Omicron variant with a preference for XBB.1.5.
See: Updated COVID-19 Vaccines for Use in the United States Beginning in Fall 2023 | FDA
Here’s the FDA’s one page summary of why they think the fall booster should focus on XBB.1.5: Recommendation for the 2023-2024 Formula of COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S.. The CDC’s advisory committee – the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) hasn’t yet made a recommendation about the makeup of the fall COVID vaccine – but it’s a safe assumption they’ll be in line with VRBPAC.
