It’s summer season 2024, however the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be hanging round. And whereas the virus continues to evolve, it’s doing so in additional predictable methods. Particularly, the anticipated summer season uptick in infections has arrived: The variety of COVID instances is “seemingly” on the rise in at the least 39 states and is not dropping wherever in america, in line with knowledge from the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.There are new variants on the town, a reformulated vaccine on the horizon and contemporary preventive therapies to assist shield essentially the most susceptible individuals from getting severely in poor health from COVID. At-risk teams at the moment are the principle focus of the U.S. technique towards COVID — as an alternative of the sweeping, one-size-fits-all strategy taken within the early days of the pandemic — which suggests there could also be much less for a mean, wholesome particular person to do. However consciousness is the important thing to staying wholesome, consultants say, so it’s extra essential than ever to know simply how at-risk you might be.Right here’s what to find out about COVID this summer season.The FliRT variants at the moment are dominant. What does that imply?A variant of the COVID virus generally known as KP.3 is now liable for a couple of third of the instances within the U.S., which is greater than some other type, in line with the most recent knowledge from the CDC. KP.3 not too long ago overtook its shut relative KP.2, however each belong to a bunch generally known as the FLiRT variants. One more rising variant — generally known as LB.1 — now accounts for almost 18% of COVID instances within the U.S., and given its speedy progress, consultants suspect it might quickly grow to be dominant. A preprint paper even discovered alerts that LB.1 is extra infectious than the KP variants. All these cousins are descendants of omicron, the extra simply unfold variant of the illness that swept the globe starting in late 2021.Nonetheless, the FLiRT variants are “completely different sufficient from the final omicron variant that safety just isn’t going to be very sturdy both from the present vaccine,” which was primarily based on that variant, XBB.1.5, Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious illness specialist on the Johns Hopkins College Middle for Well being Safety, tells Yahoo Life. “That is the brand new regular. New variants will frequently seem and have the flexibility to contaminate a inhabitants that has plenty of prior immunity; that’s what we must always count on now and without end.”However the excellent news is that the newly dominant FLiRT variants don’t seem extra more likely to trigger extreme sickness, hospitalization or dying, says Adalja. Whereas LB.1 might be extra infectious than each KP.3 and earlier variants, it’s too quickly to say whether or not it makes individuals any sicker, the preprint notes.What are the signs related to KP.3?The signs are all primarily the identical it doesn’t matter what variant you get, Adalja says. “Everyone talks about these altering signs,” says Dr. David Smith, head of the College of California at San Diego’s division of infectious ailments. “However in actuality, it is the nice outdated cough, fever, sore throat, feeling unhealthy or malaise … the identical outdated issues from the very starting of the pandemic.” The New York Instances additionally studies sufferers feeling typically “blah.” Based on the CDC, frequent signs embrace:A brand new vaccine is coming this fall. Who ought to wait and who ought to get vaccinated now?The CDC advises that everybody age 5 and older ought to get one dose of one of many present COVID vaccines made by both Pfizer, Moderna or Novavax. Youthful youngsters, adults 65 and older and immunocompromised individuals may have a number of doses, the company says.Nonetheless, with a brand new spherical of vaccines anticipated to be obtainable this fall, consultants’ recommendation is a bit more difficult. In the event that they haven’t gotten a dose of the present vaccine, “most individuals can most likely maintain off,” says Adalja. “When you get it now, it might blunt the impact of the brand new vaccine within the fall.” The FDA has requested that vaccine makers replace their pictures for the autumn to be efficient towards the JN.1 lineage, of which the FLiRT variants are descendants.For most individuals, Adalja says whether or not to get a shot this summer season varies “case by case,” and he advises contemplating:How lengthy it’s been since your final vaccinationHow excessive your dangers of extreme COVID areWhat class of danger you belong to (e.g., older individuals, individuals with extra weight, individuals with power well being circumstances, immunosuppressed individuals)How lengthy it’s been since your final COVID infectionWhether you might be pregnantSmith says that anybody 65 and older ought to get a dose of the present shot in the event that they haven’t already. “The summer season wave is coming, and the vaccine does provide fairly a little bit of safety towards the [FliRT] variants,” he tells Yahoo Life. “People who find themselves in any other case comparatively wholesome and never older can determine for themselves. However in the event you don’t, there’s a reasonably good likelihood that you just’ll get contaminated in the summertime wave.”Is the summer season surge right here?It appears to be like that manner, as instances have begun to tick upward. The speed of constructive COVID exams rose to six.6% throughout the week ending June 15, up by 1.2% from the prior week, in line with CDC knowledge. And emergency room visits for COVID rose by 14.7% that week over the one prior. Each hospitalization and dying charges are up too, rising 25% and 16.7%, respectively, throughout the week ending in June 15.“The wave is beginning … however who is aware of if we’re going to have the large summer season waves like we’ve had each summer season since [the COVID pandemic] began,” Smith says. Adalja says that with the arrival of a brand new variant, the uptick in COVID instances is anticipated. “It’s nothing unmanageable within the well being care system, however it’s a rise,” he says.What else ought to individuals do to remain protected?Each consultants warning that any time you’re spending time in crowded locations, there’s nonetheless some danger of contracting COVID, particularly amid the FLiRT-fueled summer season improve. That doesn’t imply everybody has to remain residence, merely that it is best to know your dangers and do what you’ll be able to to mitigate them.“The principle habits we must always ingrain in our tradition is, in the event you’re sick, keep residence,” says Smith. “The flip aspect can be true: We’ve to be extra forgiving when somebody says I don’t really feel effectively and I don’t assume I ought to are available [to work] or go to that occasion. We should be grateful to that particular person for taking good care of us by not exposing us to COVID or the rest that they could have.”Are testing tips nonetheless the identical?Sure. The CDC nonetheless recommends testing you probably have signs of COVID or know you’ve been uncovered to somebody with the virus. “When you don’t really feel proper, you have to get a take a look at,” says Smith. In case your preliminary residence take a look at is adverse, the CDC says the easiest way to make sure you might be COVID-free is to take a second take a look at inside 48 hours you probably have signs, and three residence exams you probably have no signs.Nonetheless, you may now not have the ability to order free exams from the U.S. authorities. This system was discontinued as of March 2024. Non-public insurers are additionally now not required to pay for the exams. However some insurers nonetheless cowl the exams, as do Medicaid and Medicare.And what ought to I do if I get it?The CDC relaxed its suggestions for quarantining after a constructive take a look at in March, and now solely suggests that folks keep residence and away from different individuals if they’ve signs. You probably have been fever-free and with out signs for at the least 24 hours, you don’t want to remain residence.Smith recommends that “in the event you do take a look at constructive, then you have to discuss to a health care provider about whether or not or not you want a remedy.” Nonetheless, he provides that we nonetheless don’t have nice therapies for COVID, with Paxlovid being the one authorised remedy for COVID. “It’s not like Tamiflu, the place you get higher quicker, however it’s actually concerning the prevention of extreme illness,” says Adalja. The CDC advises that Paxlovid — which requires a prescription — must be given to people who find themselves at excessive danger of getting severely in poor health. Paxlovid must be taken inside 5 to seven days of creating signs.However for most individuals, the company says you’ll be able to get well at residence and use over-the-counter medicines together with acetaminophen or ibuprofen to assist handle your signs.