HARRISBURG, Pa. — If you or someone you know got sick from coronavirus this summer, you’re not alone.
Central Pennsylvania is seeing a small spike in cases as a new variant of the virus is spreading across the country.
After six months of falling COVID-19 hospitalizations in Pennsylvania, rates began to tick back up in July, according to CDC data. The last week of July alone saw hospitalizations rise 23.7 percent.
“We are seeing an uptick in cases in south central Pennsylvania, not so much to call it a surge yet, but we have to be cautiously watching what is happening elsewhere in the country, because what happens elsewhere comes here sooner or later,” said infectious disease physician Dr. Raghavendra Tirupathi of WellSpan Health.
Medical experts said the surge is driven by a new variant, EG.5, also known as COVID Eris. The variant is expected to soon become the dominant COVID strain across the country.
EG.5 doesn’t seem to be causing as many cases of severe illness or hospitalizations in comparison to spikes during the past three summers. Medical experts cautioned that risks remain elevated for those with some other health conditions, especially those who have gotten infected with COVID before.
“If patients who are exposed to COVID more than once and get infected and they have comorbidities, their outcomes may be worse the second time around,” said Dr. Tirupathi.
If cases are going up in your area, health officials suggest going back to classic prevention measures like washing your hands and masking in crowded places.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health wrote in a statement that it “strongly recommends that Pennsylvanians continue to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, as the best defense against the virus remains getting vaccinated, along with continuing basic health and hygiene practices, such as handwashing, staying home when sick, and avoiding contact with people who have suspected or confirmed COVID-19.”
This year’s updated COVID vaccines are expected to roll out around late September.