There has been a slight uptick in coronavirus cases in populated cities across the East Coast, but that doesn’t mean Summit County residents should be concerned.
Experts anticipate the virus, which is less severe than when it first appeared in 2020, is going to be sticking around for a while. And it’ll even start making regular appearances in the fall — along with the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
It’s hard to know exactly how many people in Summit County, and the rest of Utah, have come down with COVID this summer as testing has essentially ceased across the state aside from at-home kits, which are not reportable.
But Phil Bondurant, the director of the Summit County Health Department, expects it to be low. Around 10 cases were reported the week of Aug. 5 compared to 71 cases around that time last year. Case counts in a single week this year have not exceeded a February high of 32. The Health Department moved from weekly to monthly reporting in May.
A few residents, many with mild symptoms, have called to report their at-home diagnosis to the Health Department. However, officials must rely on wastewater data and reports from clinical settings. For example, an injured mountain biker, who had ridden 40 miles, received a panel of tests, one of which confirmed the individual had COVID-19.
“We’ve seen some increase (in wastewater data), but it’s important to remember that minor increases really don’t indicate that we have a situation like we did before,” Bondurant said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean that we are trending backward… but we are going to continue to see cases. As long as people test, there will be positive cases.”
Wastewater surveillance allows health experts to monitor the amount of COVID-19 in a community and whether the virus is spreading. Despite new cases, the latest numbers are still around 90% below what was collected during the omicron surge early last year.
“An uptick during a travel season like the summer should be somewhat expected. Especially when we hear about people traveling internationally, they’re spending a lot of time on planes. Those types of things still present a risk for COVID transmission,” Bondurant explained. “While we see these ebbs and flows in wastewater data we have not seen the hospitalizations parallel that trendline. In fact, the hospitalizations have remained at zero, we can see through state data, for a very long time.”
Bondurant said the latest cases in Summit County are among people who were at higher risk of being exposed to COVID. Some who tested positive were up to date on their vaccinations while others are relying on natural immunity. But all engaged in activities such as attending crowded parties or spending several hours with a large group.
Some residents who reached out said they initially thought they were experiencing bad allergies because of the moderate symptoms. Others may have been down and out for a few days, Bondurant said, but they quickly bounced back.
“When somebody is classifying it as a head cold because the severity is consistent with that, that’s really where we want to be,” he said.
Regardless of whether someone tests themselves for COVID, a person feeling sick should remain at home until they feel well again. This prevents illness from spreading. Free tests are available at the Health Department.
While the Health Department respiratory disease data dashboard has been relatively inactive since the spring, Bondurant anticipates it will kick up again in September with the arrival of flu season.
Officials look to Australia and New Zealand, where the flu season runs from April to October when it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere. The data helps North American health experts forecast how the virus may show up here.
Bondurant said there has been an increase in flu cases, but health officials appeared hopeful they captured the more abundant flu strain to use in their vaccine.
There were several theories about why last year’s flu season was tough, including it being on the back end of COVID as well as an ineffective shot. It’s hard to predict how this fall will compare. However, Bondurant affirmed the best way to influence a positive outcome is to receive the jab.
“There’s probably a little bit of truth to all those different opinions, but I do know that even in years where the flu vaccine is less effective than in previous years, the symptoms are much milder in people who are vaccinated compared to those who are not,” he said.
The first flu shot is expected to be delivered in early October with elderly residents receiving priority. The Health Department is planning to open drive-thru flu shot clinics this fall to make it easier for the rest of the community to get vaccinated, too.
And with the coronavirus expected to be ever-present in the community, a new coronavirus jab will likely be available this fall once it’s approved by an advisory panel for the Food and Drug Administration. The new shot or booster will target an omicron sub-variant.
Bondurant estimated the Health Department would begin offering the shot during the second week in October. Individuals who received the updated COVID-19 booster released in September are considered up to date and should wait until the new vaccine is available, unless otherwise directed by their doctor.