Florida sees uptick in COVID cases. What's causing the surge?

Melissa Pérez-Carrillo, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·2 min read
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The Florida Department of Health is reporting an uptick in COVID cases this summer.

In the week prior to Aug. 19, the U.S. saw 15,067 COVID hospital admissions, an 18.8% increase over the previous week, with a slight rise in deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

University of South Florida professor Jill Roberts said while COVID rates had plateaued with the COVID variant, Omicron, a new variant called Eris has contributed to the increased infections. Eris has become a dominant variant in the U.S., accounting for 21.5% of COVID infections between Aug. 20 and Sept. 2, according to the CDC.

Between Aug. 11 and Aug. 17, Manatee County had 254 COVID cases, and Sarasota County had 305 reported cases, according to the Florida Department of Health.

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What’s causing the surge?

Roberts said the uptick can be credited to the combination of a new variant, kids returning to school, and waning immunity, which is developed by either being vaccinated or developing antibodies after a COVID infection.

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She has anecdotally seen more people wear masks, but she said people have grown complacent with protecting themselves and others from COVID.

“We have to keep in mind that COVID is a severe disease for some individuals,” Roberts said. “We don’t necessarily know our own health status, and a lot of us may underestimate our own risk.”

When will COVID finally go away?

COVID may never go away until a vaccine is developed to fully stop transmission of the infection, Roberts said. The transmission of COVID allows it to mutate, creating variants that can cause these surges of infections.

“It’s incredibly annoying to have to deal with wave after wave of this disease without it going away,” Roberts said. “Preventing death and hospitalizations is great, but we need to get a better vaccine to stop this disease. Without serious advancement in the science, this is going to continue.”

How to best stay protected from the virus?

Roberts recommends testing for COVID if you’re symptomatic. The most common symptoms associated with the infection include fever, cough, new loss of smell or taste, congestion, and nausea, according to the CDC.

If sick, try to stay home and away from others, and if going out, make sure to wear a mask to not expose anyone else. Additionally, there is going to be a booster shot that will be released in September. Updated vaccination can prevent or mitigate the effects of COVID, but Roberts added that someone should wait a few months to get the booster if they recently had COVID to ensure their receiving as many antibodies against the disease as possible.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Florida sees uptick in coronavirus cases. What's causing the surge?