Here are some answers to questions about COVID as cases appear to be spiking in Colorado.
Is COVID on the rise?
From barbecues to festivals and elder facilities to crowded airports, COVID-19 has been infecting many people this summer. COVID cases are likely to keep rising this fall and winter.
Experts at the World Health Organization recently declared that COVID-19 infections are surging around the world, with 84 countries from the Americas to Europe to the Western Pacific reporting summer spikes.
While other respiratory illnesses like the flu typically hit people during the winter months, it’s now clear that COVID-19 infections can strike during any season, and Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, a director of pandemic preparedness, warned that more severe variants may be on the horizon.
Many people who are sick with COVID-19 now either don’t take a test or don’t report test results to any government or medical authorities, so it’s difficult to say exactly how bad current COVID-19 spikes are. But both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wastewater monitoring and anecdotal reports from doctors indicate that COVID-19 cases have been rising all summer, and the newest infections can hit people hard.
So, what symptoms are people experiencing? What’s different about COVID-19 infections now compared to the earliest days of the pandemic? How long are symptoms lasting? What are the protocols if you test positive? What should you do if you’re traveling? And when can people get the newest vaccines? To answer your top questions, we consulted with Dr. Michelle Barron, UCHealth’s senior medical director of infection prevention and control.
“Most people who have had COVID-19 this year will tell you that it really knocked them down,” said Barron, who is also a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine on the Anschutz Medical Campus.
“I know quite a few people who have gotten it recently, and they were very sick. They’d tell me, ‘I had a fever and I couldn’t get out of bed,’” Barron said.
What are COVID symptoms in 2024?
Barron said most people are describing common symptoms that are similar to a bad cold or a case of the flu.
“It’s primarily the same symptoms that we’ve seen all along like a sore throat, body aches, headaches, sinus pressure, runny nose, fatigue and a fever that goes away pretty quickly,” Barron said.
How long does COVID last?
The duration of illness seems to be shorter than COVID-19 infections were in the past, especially in the earliest days of the pandemic, Barron said.
“People have been getting sick but not for long periods of time. They tend to spike fevers and feel really, really tired, like they have the flu,” Barron said. “But then they get better quickly, as early as Day 3.”
Inspired by track and field events, Barron compared the current course of COVID-19 infections to Olympic sprinters.
“It’s like your 100-meter-dash people where it’s intense, and in 10 seconds, it’s over,” Barron said.
Some people get infections that last longer. But many people these days are getting an intense illness that passes relatively quickly.
“It hits you hard, and then it’s done,” Barron said.
Why COVID is increasing in the summer: Isn’t that weird for a respiratory virus?
It is unusual for respiratory viruses (other than Rhinovirus which causes the common cold) to surge in the summer, Barron said. But viruses are opportunistic. They spread when they can find new hosts, regardless of the season.
And the newest COVID-19 variants are clearly pros at infecting people.
“The newest variants are much more efficient at transmitting themselves. They’re faster at infecting people, and they get more people sick,” Barron said.
Plus, many people have not been vaccinated recently, or their immunities from previous infections or booster shots have worn off.
“Immunities are not permanent. That’s why people get colds every year. Viruses change slightly, and your immune system is like, ‘Oh. Who are you? I haven’t seen you in a while.’ We need to retrain our bodies to respond. That’s why we need updated vaccines,” Barron said.
This year’s summer wave of infections shows that the current variants are sneaky and talented.
“People who get sick have a higher viral load. You have more virus out there, and it transmits much better,” Barron said.
Is there a new variant of COVID?
The current variants that are causing COVID-19 infections now are all descendants of the omicron variant. Experts name the omicron sub-variants alphabetically, and we’re now into the Ks. The KP.3 subvariants make up nearly 50% of the variants now circulating and causing infections, according to the CDC’s “Nowcast” data tracker.
The newest vaccine, which is due out any day now, was supposed to target the newest variants, so Barron and other infectious disease experts hope it will be highly effective in preventing deaths, hospitalizations and serious illnesses this fall and winter.
Speaking of fall and winter, what is likely to happen with COVID-19 infections in the coming months?
“We don’t know yet where we’re going to land in fall or if there’s going to be yet another variant, but COVID-19 is now behaving a lot like the flu, so we most certainly recommend that people get both their flu shots and their new COVID-19 shots this fall,” Barron said.
“Whether you don’t like being sick yourself or if you have vulnerable people in your life who you want to protect, you’ll want to get vaccinated,” Barron said. “And people who like to travel should definitely get vaccinated so they don’t acquire COVID-19 while they’re abroad.”
Who should get the new 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine?
“People of all ages should get it,” Barron said. “I would prioritize anyone over age 65 and anyone with underlying immunologic issues like cancer or lung disease or any kind of chronic condition like diabetes or heart disease.
“For everyone else, it’s a good idea to get the new vaccine,” Barron said.
Learn all about the new COVID-19 vaccine that is coming this fall.
When will the new vaccine be available?
The new vaccine is out.
So, if I’ve gotten hit by the summer wave of COVID-19 infections, when should I get the new vaccine?
If you’ve had a recent case of COVID-19, you should have some natural immunities that will last about three months. You can get the new vaccine any time you are better but can wait up until about 90 days after you had a COVID-19 infection, Barron said.
Barron encourages people to go with convenience rather than worrying too much about precise timing for fall vaccines.
“For older adults, especially, get your vaccines when it’s convenient,” Barron said.
People who delay vaccines might not get them before the respiratory virus season hits hard. So, if you’re going to your doctor for another reason, and the vaccines are available, Barron encourages people to go ahead and get them.
Others will want to be sure to get the newest vaccine before traveling or getting together with a lot of family and friends.
“You might want to time your vaccines so you’ll be protected for the holidays. Just remember that it takes two weeks for vaccines to go fully into effect,” Barron said.
What’s happening with hospitalizations for COVID-19 now? Are you expecting a big rise in COVID cases in the fall and winter, as in past years?
Barron always jokes that she doesn’t have a Magic 8 Ball that allows her to predict what’s going to happen in the coming months with infectious diseases.
“I expect my Magic 8 Ball would say, ‘Ask me later,’” Barron said with a laugh.
In all seriousness, it’s typical to see an increase in cases of flu and COVID-19 during the fall and winter months. So, Barron and other infectious disease experts can make educated guesses and are preparing for spikes in infections and hospitalizations during the traditional respiratory virus season.
“Last year, during the fall and winter, we saw COVID and flu without as many RSV cases. We’re certainly prepared for that kind of perfect storm again,” Barron said.
The conditions in the late fall and winter months make it easy for viruses to spread.
“Kids will be in school, people are traveling, the temperatures start to change and more people are indoors, so I expect that’s what we’ll see,” Barron said.
“COVID-19 is now part of the repertoire of viruses we see every year in the fall and winter, and we should anticipate that we’re going to see it along with flu and other common viruses,” Barron said.
The best preparation for respiratory virus season is to get updated vaccines.
“We have very good, effective vaccines against flu and COVID that will keep you out of the hospital and keep you from getting a severe form of the disease,” Barron said.
“We don’t know how severe the season will be until we know what’s circulating,” Barron said.
“But it’s always wise to get your vaccine so you can enjoy the lovely fall and winter months and all the wonderful holidays we get to celebrate,” she said. “You won’t want to be sick with the flu or COVID and have to stay home and miss out on the fun.”
What if I’m traveling soon and I can’t get the new COVID vaccine before I leave on my trip?
For older people, others who are immunocompromised or people who are trying to stay healthy to protect other high-risk family members or friends, it’s best to be cautious while you travel since the virus that causes COVID-19 is clearly spreading widely now.
If you’re traveling soon and haven’t been able to get an updated vaccine, you can wear a mask in crowded indoor settings, like airports, Barron said.
If health insurance covers the older version of the vaccine, travelers could get the current shot now. Then, in about 90 days, they could get the updated 2024/2025 vaccine. Immunities from that shot would go into effect in time to protect people during the busy holiday season.
“You could get an extra layer of protection,” Barron said.
“And I most certainly emphasize the benefits of masks. You don’t have to wear them all the time. But in dense crowds, the mask might give you a little more protection. There’s certainly no harm from wearing one,” Barron said.
“The most crucial place to protect yourself is when you’re in the airport because you can’t control who’s around you. Once you’re on the plane, the air filtration system is actually quite good.
“As long as the person sitting next to you isn’t hacking on you, you’d be fine taking your mask off on the plane,” Barron said.
Anyone who wishes to get an extra dose of the 2023/2024 COVID-19 vaccine should check with their doctor and insurance provider to make sure the cost is covered.
What else can I do to stay healthy and avoid getting a case of COVID-19 this fall or winter?
The tried-and-true methods for staying healthy still hold true.
“Wash your hands, cover your cough and wear a mask if you’re in dense crowds,” Barron said.
Plus, stay home and isolate yourself from loved ones if you’re sick.
Whether you’ve got a cold, the flu, RSV or COVID-19, it’s kind not to share your germs with other people.
If I’m sick with COVID-19 now, what are the newest protocols to avoid infecting other people? Should I call my doctor right away if I test positive?
Barron said doctors encourage their patients to manage COVID-19 now just as they would if they got the flu.
Please stay home and isolate until you’re feeling better and you don’t have a fever, she said.
“You should not expose yourself to others until you’ve had no fever for at least 24 hours, and that’s without taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen to bring a fever down. So you really have no fever,” Barron said.
“After that, you can probably interact with people,” Barron said.
Wearing a mask as you recover is courteous.
“We’d ask you to wear a mask for a total of five days, and in the hospital, we have stricter protocols because people are sick and we have people who are much more vulnerable,” Barron said. “We also have health care workers and we don’t want to expose them, so they don’t expose others.”
Editor’s Note: The Colorado Times Recorder occasionally posts articles, like this one, from UCHealth Today, which is published by UCHealth, the hospital associated with the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Our goal is to provide as many people as possible with accurate information about medical issues that are poisoned by misinformation, particularly as discussed on social media and talk radio.
