Keeping Up with COVID-19

by Debra Powell, MD Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases Medical Director, Infection Prevention Tower Health

WHERE ARE WE NOW REGARDING COVID-19, VARIANTS, INFECTION RATES, AND SEVERITY INCLUDING HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS?

We are in a fortunate position where we have a significant proportion of the population immunized or with some natural immunity, and the current COVID-19 variant causes predominately milder symptoms than prior variants, although it is more infectious. There is a small percentage of patients that still develop severe disease and require hospitalization.

We continue to see COVID-19 variant evolution and are currently seeing the COVID-19 Omicron variant BA.2.12.1 as the predominant strain. There are new COVID-19 Omicron variants circulating, named BA.4 and BA.5, which will probably become the predominant strain in the next few weeks. These variants are more infectious than prior variants but do not produce more severe symptoms.

WHAT IS YOUR BEST GUESS AT WHERE WE ARE HEADED OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS?

I anticipate that we will have new COVID vaccines by the fall that will be modified to cover the emerging variants. Vaccine manufacturers are developing a bivalent vaccine to target both the original strain plus the Omicron variant.

I also expect that the Novavax vaccine will be approved shortly which will provide an alternative vaccine using a traditional proteinbased technology. This may be better accepted by those patients who were vaccine hesitant due to the mRNA technology.

PARTICULARLY AS HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, WHAT CAN/SHOULD WE BE DOING AT THIS POINT TO REDUCE INFECTION RATES AND PLAN FOR ANY FUTURE SURGES ESPECIALLY IN FALL AND WINTER?

I would recommend that health care professionals recommend that their patients, and themselves, stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations. This is especially important for persons with significant risk factors. Vaccination lowers the risk of severe disease requiring hospitalization and prevents death. When the vaccine is approved for all ages, younger children should also be vaccinated to COVID-19.