As the BA.2 omicron subvariant of COVID-19 drives up infections in the Northeast, Maine reported 437 new cases on Saturday.
No new deaths from coronavirus were reported according to Saturdays data from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The numbers of hospitalized patients with the virus statewide continues to be stable. On Saturday 100 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19, one less than on Friday. Of those hospitalized on Saturday, 17 were in critical care units and three on ventilators. No additional deaths were reported.
The seven-day average of new cases in Maine rose to 310 Friday, a nearly 50 percent increase in less than a week, and Maines case count in the last two weeks has increased 55 percent, according to the New York Times. In fact, New England states have increased by significant percentages, including an 84 percent increase of cases in New Hampshire, 77 percent more in Massachusetts, and 88 percent more cases in Vermont, according to Times data.
As the official daily case count rises, more Maine counties have been reclassified as having a moderate risk of virus transmission and increased hospitalizations.
Five counties, Aroostook, Piscataquis, Penobscot, Washington and Hancock are now are in the yellow, or moderate risk category, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last week, Aroostook was the only Maine county not considered to be at low risk.
Cumberland and the other counties remain in the green, or low-risk category. The low-risk designation indicates the level of transmission and rate of hospitalizations are not expected to strain local hospitals.
Residents of moderate risk counties are advised to wear masks when indoors if they are at high-risk of complications from COVID-19 because of their age or underlying health conditions.
Dr. Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research Translational Institute, said case numbers will likely keep growing until the surge reaches about a quarter the height of the last monstrous one in the winter, according to the Associated Press. But keeping the surge somewhat in check, experts said, is a higher level of immunity in the U.S. from vaccination or past infection compared with early winter.
In Maine, 73.97 percent of Maines population are fully vaccinated, the state reported on Friday. Fully vaccinated are considered those to have had their first and second vaccine, or the J & J shot. The number of COVID-19 booster shots number 651,034. That number does not break down which are first and second booster shots.
On March 29 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded eligibility for a second booster for people age 50 and over, especially those 65 and older as well as those with underlying medical conditions.
Kristin Thornton of Waterboro is among the Mainers who decided to get her second booster Sunday at a Sanford clinic hosted by the York County Emergency Management Agency.
Im immunocompromised. I feel like the boosters give you more security, Thornton said. I live with my family who does go out to the world. I feel safer even at home. One of my household is a teacher and is in the school system. With more cases rising and mask recommendations lifted, any help I can get Im happy to get as many shots as they recommend, she said.
The CDC will continue to evaluate the need for a second booster for all Americans, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said.
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State Health officials recorded 1,336 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, marking the fifth straight day with at least 1,200 and the eight time in 10 days with at least 1,050.
The states seven-day rolling average of new cases now sits at 1,162. It has increased for five consecutive days.
Locally, there were seven new cases: Three in Northumberland, two in Snyder and one each in Union and Montour counties.
Pennsylvania infections have increased 38 percent and deaths were down 33 percent over the past week, according to data being tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Johns Hopkins University. Statewide, hospitalizations linked to the coronavirus are up five percent. Nationally, the number of cases was up 26 percent, while deaths were down 1 percent. Nationally, hospitalizations were unchanged in the last week.
There were 14 deaths statewide linked to the coronavirus on Saturday. There were no deaths in the Valley linked to COVID. There have been no local deaths over the past eight days due to complications from COVID.
Sixty-four of Pennsylvanias 67 counties had low levels of COVID-19 including all four in the Valley according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated on Friday. For the sixth week in a row, there were no counties in Pennsylvania registering high levels of COVID-19; Susquehanna, Sullivan and Bradford counties have medium levels. Nationally, there were 14 counties with high levels of COVID, 175 with medium and 3,035 with low.
The CDC looks at the combination of three metrics new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population in the past 7 days, the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days to determine the COVID-19 community level.
The CDC reported Saturday that 77.5 percent of Pennsylvanians 18 and older were fully vaccinated, while 68 percent of all residents were fully vaccinated.
As of noon Saturday, there were 440 COVID hospitalizations statewide, down 1 from Friday. It was the second time in five days statewide COVID hospitalizations decreased. Since April 9, COVID-19 hospitalizations statewide have increased by 32.
There were 53 patients in intensive care units (ICUs), down four for the second consecutive day, and 29 were breathing using ventilators, down 10.
There were 13 patients hospitalized locally. There were 12 patients at Geisinger in Danville, one at Geisinger Shamokin and none at Evangelical Community Hospitalin Lewisburg. A day ago, there were 13 patients at Geisinger, none at Geisinger Shamokin and one at Evangelical.
The one patient at Geisinger Shamokin was in the ICU. None of the patients in the Valley were on a ventilator.
As of Saturday morning, the Department of Human Services reported at least one case among employees at the Selinsgrove Center. The state does not release specific totals if there are fewer than five cases.
There are no active cases at Danville State Hospital, or either of the male or female units at the North Central Secure Treatment Unit.
At the State Correctional Institution in Coal Township, there were also no active cases, according to the state Department of Corrections. Statewide, there were 11 inmate cases and another 21 staff cases. Five prisons statewide had inmate cases as of Saturday morning, while 13 prisons had staff infections.
Federal prisons in Lewisburg and Allenwood were at Level 1 operational levels of COVID mitigation, the lowest level of modifications in the federal Bureau of Prisons mitigation plans. It means prisons have resumed normal operations while inmates and staffers wear masks indoors. There were no cases at any of the Valleys federal prisons.
As of Saturday morning, there were 53 federal prisons nationally at Level 1 (the lowest), 23 were at Level 2 and 22 were at Level 3.
Institution operational levels (Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3) are based on the facilities COVID-19 medical isolation rate, combined percentage of staff and inmate completed vaccinations series and their respective county transmission rates.
15,678: Number of cases reported in Florida in the past week.
2,240: Average cases a day, a 39 percent increase compared to the previous week.
5,878,404: Total number of cases recorded in Florida.
151: Number of deaths reported in the past week.
73,689: Total pandemic deaths in Florida.
60,368: Vaccinations (first or second doses) administered in the past week, an 38 percent increase compared to the previous week.
83 percent: Florida residents 5 and up who are at least partially vaccinated.
79 percent: Total Florida population that is at least partially vaccinated.
82 percent: U.S. residents 5 and up who are at least partially vaccinated.
77 percent: Total U.S. population that is at least partially vaccinated.
46,095: Booster doses administered in Florida in the last week, a 17-percent increase compared to the prior week.
26 percent: Total Florida population that is boosted.
30 percent: Total U.S. population that is boosted.
6.2 percent: Florida, compared to 4.2 percent the previous week.
5.6 percent: Manatee
4.6 percent: Pinellas
4.1 percent: Hernando
4.1 percent: Pasco
3.7 percent: Polk
3.5 percent: Hillsborough
2.7 percent: Citrus
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674: Florida hospitalizations, no significant change compared to the prior week.
165: Tampa Bay admissions, a 9-percent increase compared to the prior week.
2,431: Cases in Tampa Bay, a 72-percent increase compared to the previous week.
1,080,923: Total cases in Tampa Bay to date.
34: Deaths in Tampa Bay, a 60-percent drop compared to the prior week.
Editors note: The Tampa Bay Times weekly COVID-19 summary now reports data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Previous reports relied on the Florida Department of Health. However, the state no longer releases COVID-19 data on a weekly basis. The change allows us to bring readers the most up-to-date COVID-19 data each week.
Tampa Bay: The Times can help you find the free, public COVID-19 testing sites around the bay area.
Florida: The Department of Health has a website that lists testing sites in the state. Some information may be out of date.
The U.S.: The Department of Health and Human Services has a website that can help you find a testing site.
The COVID-19 vaccine for ages 5 and up and booster shots for eligible recipients are being administered at doctors offices, clinics, pharmacies, grocery stores and public vaccination sites. Many allow appointments to be booked online. Heres how to find a site near you:
Find a site: Visit vaccines.gov to find vaccination sites in your ZIP code.
More help: Call the National COVID-19 Vaccination Assistance Hotline.
Phone: 800-232-0233. Help is available in English, Spanish and other languages.
TTY: 888-720-7489
Disability Information and Access Line: Call 888-677-1199 or email DIAL@n4a.org.
OMICRON VARIANT: Omicron changed what we know about COVID. Heres the latest on how the infectious COVID-19 variant affects masks, vaccines, boosters and quarantining.
KIDS AND VACCINES: Got questions about vaccinating your kid? Here are some answers.
BOOSTER SHOTS: Confused about which COVID booster to get? This guide will help.
BOOSTER QUESTIONS: Are there side effects? Why do I need it? Heres the answers to your questions.
PROTECTING SENIORS: Heres how seniors can stay safe from the virus.
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No one is immune from COVID-19. Even people who are fully vaccinated and boosted can get COVID-19, though studies show that such individuals are significantly less likely to get seriously ill from the virus or transmit it to others.
Since there's no immunity from COVID-19, some people may wonder if they're more vulnerable than others. That includes asthma sufferers. Both COVID-19 and asthma affect the respiratory system, but the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America notes that research published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and the journal Chest has indicated that having asthma does not put individuals at a greater risk of getting COVID-19 or having severe COVID-19. In addition, a separate study published in JACI found that people with well-controlled asthma have less severe COVID-19 outcomes than those with uncontrolled asthma.
Those studies are good news for people with asthma, who must recognize the importance of keeping asthma under control. One way to do that is to continue to take common medicines for asthma, which the AAFA notes do not increase the risk of getting COVID-19. Such medicines include:
Quick-relief medicines like albuterol
Controller medicines, including inhaled corticosteroids
Oral corticosteroids, such as prednisone
Biologics
Allergy medicines like antihistamines
Proton pump inhibitors for acid reflux
Nasal allergy sprays
Allergy shots
Taking these medicines as prescribed can help individuals control their asthma, which in turn reduces their risk for severe outcomes should they test positive for COVID-19. That appears to be the lone link between asthma and COVID-19, though asthma patients are urged to open a dialogue with their physicians if they want to learn more.
At least 44 Chinese cities are under either a full or partial lockdown as authorities persist in trying to curb the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, according to a report from investment bank Nomura and CNN's own reporting as of Thursday.
"We need to overcome paralysis in the face of risk, war-weariness, leaving things to chance and becoming relaxed," state media reported Xi saying Wednesday, calling on the nation to "strictly implement normalized prevention and control measures."
In China, the local officials rolling out Covid-19 measures, like those in Shanghai, typically get blamed for mismanagement when there are problems -- a more acceptable target than the central government and its policies, in the country's tightly controlled political environment. And it's not expected that a Covid crisis will imperil Xi's likely third term.
Nation disrupted
Xi has ordered local officials to do all they can to stop the virus, while also minimizing the "impact on economic and social development" -- an order that, counter-intuitively, is expected to push local officials to clamp down with harsh measures at the sign of a few cases, or even preemptively, in the wake of the crisis in Shanghai.
"Shanghai officials were trying to thread this needle they've been asked to thread, which is, 'let's maintain zero-Covid, while also not disrupting anybody's life.' They focused a little bit more on the 'not disrupting people's lives' (side). And they failed," said Trey McArver, partner and co-founder at the China policy research group Trivium.
"The lesson that everybody's going to learn is that, actually, you really have to focus on the zero-Covid part," he said.
As of Tuesday, health authorities said more than 320,000 local Covid-19 cases had been reported across 31 provinces, including those in Shanghai, since March 1.
Already dozens of cities have some form of lockdown, even though the vast majority of those total cases have been found in Shanghai and the northeastern province of Jilin. Getting supplies across the country has become a steep challenge, with some expressways closed, and truck drivers ensnared in quarantine or at thousands of highway health checkpoints. Some cities have discouraged their residents from leaving, like the major southern port of Guangzhou, which requires its 18 million people to show a negative Covid test if they want to get out.
The situation has spurred various ministries in Beijing into action, with a National Development and Reform Commission official pledging Tuesday to "actively coordinate with local governments" and "employ big data" to ensure essentials get delivered.
Those health concerns come alongside a "hidden" political calculation of the costs of a large-scale outbreak, according to Huang.
"(Beijing is) considering the perceived impact on political and social economic stability, considering the impact on the leadership transition ahead of the Party Congress, and considering the regime legitimacy -- there is a lot at stake," said Huang.
But the risks for the Communist Party of keeping the policy, which has sparked mounting frustration and anger in Shanghai and threatens more disruption, is also clear -- especially as the country is over 88% vaccinated and most cases, authorities say, remain mild.
"Economic slowdown is quite a big concern," said Alfred Wu, an associate professor in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at National University of Singapore.
"The central government always utilizes so-called economic performance to enhance their legitimacy. So how are they going to (explain) sluggish economic performance? I don't know. But one thing is very sure, people will be suffering."
Blame game
With Xi's name so closely associated with the policies, the leader has linked himself to their success.
"When you've so clearly centralized power in one person's hands, then I think you can plausibly lay any problems at that person's feet -- so it obviously reflects poorly on him," said McArver.
But as for whether this would imperil the leader's third term, "the answer is no," he said, pointing to what observers of China's opaque elite politics widely believe to be a void of any real competition for the top role.
Meanwhile, it's possible that even from the depths of the current challenge -- if they can find a way to bring the outbreaks largely under control -- the central government could spin a political win, akin to what they did in Wuhan in 2020, analysts say.
There has been clear frustration against the government this time around, spilling onto social media this week as users adopted pro-China, trending hashtags en masse to make veiled or sarcastic comments against the government -- before being censored.
But there are also ready scapegoats across the country in the form of local government officials, who are under enormous pressure and can be blamed for failures in the implementation of the "zero-Covid" policy, shifting fault away from the central government's policy itself, experts say. Many cadres have been fired or demoted throughout the pandemic, including recently in Shanghai, with details typically reported by state media.
"The Chinese central government is very, very careful and also very, very smart in turning the anger on the local governments instead of themselves," said Wu.
And in a political environment where all dissent is quashed, the narrative of Xi's Party will dominate.
However, some argue that China has painted itself into a corner where it now needs to uphold its stringent policy, after reveling for two years in the success of "zero-Covid," while scaremongering about the virus and generating broad support for the policy.
Huang puts it this way: "We should never underestimate the government capacity to redefine its narrative to sustain the public support. And we should never underestimate the people's tolerance, even for policies that harm their interest."
CNN's Beijing bureau contributed to this report.
Boston MarathonHere are the latest COVID trends in Boston ahead of Monday's marathon.Medals are handed out to runners at the finish of the Boston Marathon in Boston in October. Allison Dinner/The New York Times
COVID-19 cases are on the rise again, just as one of Bostons most celebrated events is returning to its pre-pandemic spring routines with the familiar and long-missed sights and sounds of Back Bay in April.
The Boston Marathon is back.
For the first time since 2019, the historic and storied road race is happening on its usual spring date, only six months after organizers hosted the 125th Boston Marathon in October a schedule change prompted by surging virus cases early last year.
Still, even as Massachusetts experienced a drop in coronavirus cases following this winters omicron-fueled surge, case counts have been ticking up again, leading local officials to urge race-goers to consider taking health precautions.
Heres what to know about COVID-19 and the 2022 Boston Marathon:
Statewide COVID-19 data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health shows the Bay States seven-day weighted average percent positivity rate was 3.66 percent as of Wednesday. Thats far below the most recent surge, when, in January, the state recorded 23 percent positivity.
However, the rate is on the rise.
As of April 1, the percent positivity was 2.57 percent. A month ago, it was 1.6 percent.
In Boston, the latest data from the Boston Public Health Commission, dated Tuesday, shows the citys positivity rate hit 6.5 percent markedly above the citys 5.0 percent threshold for concern.
We are monitoring that very carefully, Mayor Michelle Wu said earlier this week, when the rate hung at 5.4 percent.
But other COVID metrics in the city are also below important thresholds.
There were, for example, approximately 72 people hospitalized with COVID each day, as of Wednesday. The official threshold for that statistic is 200 people hospitalized per day.
Additionally, 89.1 percent of the citys ICU beds are occupied below the threshold of 95 percent.
Altogether, those metrics are the three indicators the Wu administration watched closely earlier this year when determining when to lift pandemic-related mandates, such as indoor mask and vaccination requirements.
Were not there yet on those metrics, and were just watching the numbers there, Wu said on Tuesday. There have been fluctuations up and down. So we want to just see where this is going and make sure that its not headed on a continued upward trend.
City health leaders are also monitoring COVIDs presence in area wastewater, a data set that has become crucial to tracking spread in real time.
The latestwastewater data shows a rise in COVID in Greater Boston, but experts are not in agreement about whether the trend signifies a surge or if the bump is simply a blip.
Really our best leading indicator is the wastewater data, and weve seen a pretty big increase, over 100 percent increase, from today compared to two weeks ago, Wu said. And so we know that theres continued transmission out in the community.
With two out of three of the citys crucial COVID metrics below the threshold of concern for public health leaders, there are no mandates requiring masks or proof of vaccination inside public establishments in Boston.
Both measures were lifted by March, before the citys two-year-long declared public health emergency ended on April 1.
However, MBTA passengers should keep their masks ready.
As required under federal regulations, masks are still required on public transportation, including in ride share services, such as Uber and Lyft.
State mask rules will still apply to the marathons medical tents as well, race organizers said.
We will be following the same protocols that are in place in local hospitals, which include having all of our staff and patients masked to the most degree possible, emphasizing routine enhanced sanitation use, and setting up the footprint to maximize social distancing, Boston Marathon Co-Medical Director Dr. Aaron Baggish, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, told reporters on Thursday.
Baggish also said he believes Boston is in a good place amid the pandemic.
I think here in Boston and our surrounding towns have all very much enjoyed the well deserved easing of the mask mandates and the COVID requirements over the past month or two, and this is really a reflection of the fact that were in a good place, Baggish said. Viral prevalence in the community is low and weve done a good job weathering the storm.
All marathon participants, vendors, volunteers, and other personnel are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or else provide a medical exemption.
Tom Grilk, president and CEO of the Boston Athletic Association, said Thursday race organizers consulted with the BAAs COVID-19 advisory group, as they did last year.
Just as the advisory group guided us to a successful race in October, were confident that their guidance will once again allow for a successful return here on Patriots Day, Grilk said.
The BAA will offer optional COVID testing at the Hynes Convention Center for anyone who wants it, Grilk said.
Additionally, individuals can be tested for COVID before or after the race at the citys several, free testing locations.
Earlier this week, Wu urged the public to take personal health precautions when they turn out for Mondays race.
Even outdoors when many, many people are crowded together, it is a situation where we want everyone just to be aware, Wu said. And so if you are able to take a test before you attend, especially if youre going to a party or a more crowded situation or an indoor event, that always helps.
The Boston Public Health Commission also issued a formal statement reminding Bostonians to use caution, not only at the marathon, but also as they gather for Easter, Passover, and Ramadan this weekend, too.
With so much to look forward to, the Boston Public Health Commission is encouraging residents to remain vigilant about COVID-19 and to use the tools that we know work masking, vaccines, boosters, and testing to protect themselves and those around them before gathering this week and next, the commissionwrote in a blog post.
The commission made these recommendations for staying healthy during the celebrations:
Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com
Friday, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported:
*Of the deaths reported Friday, MDH says five are from this month, one is from February and one is from December 2021.
MDH also reported the following data regarding hospital capacity**:
**For this data set, MDH defines COVID beds in use as being the number of patients who are currently positive with COVID-19 occupying a staffed inpatient bed in Minnesota. This does not include patients that were once positive but are now negative.
Additionally, MDH said:
View the complete updatevia the interactive infographicbelow or here.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported, as of Friday, eight counties in Minnesota remained at a high level of COVID-19 community transmission. Another 27 counties are considered at a substantial spread.
View the complete update via the interactive map below or here.
At the height of the Omicron wave in early January, the United States was administering an average of 2.5 million tests per day. That number has dropped to an average of about 540,000 at the start of this week.Credit... Spencer Platt/Getty Images
About 30,000 marathoners from 122 countries and all 50 U.S. states will hit the streets on Monday in and around Boston, where the citys Public Health Commission reports that the Covid positivity rate has risen to 6.6 percent, passing its threshold of concern of 5 percent.
The agency urged residents to mask, to test before joining indoor gatherings, to gather outdoors if possible, and to get booster shots to protect themselves and others in the coming days as Easter, Passover, Ramadan and public school vacations converge. The citys positivity rate has risen by 4 percentage points since early March, it noted.
This month the Omicron BA.2 subvariant has flattened the steep downward glide in official case counts that Boston and the rest of the country had been on after the BA.1 surge in the winter. The turn is not unexpected, but it comes as in-person gatherings have resumed, vaccinations have flatlined, officially reported tests are falling and politicians and many Americans want an end to most restrictions.
And while hospitalizations and deaths remain on the decline nationally, concerns are rising for unvaccinated and unboosted people, who remain more vulnerable to serious illness and death.
BA.2, which is more transmissible and has spread even faster than BA.1, has quickly risen to account for what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates to be 86 percent of all U.S. cases. Twenty states, including the entire Northeast, have seen their daily cases rise by at least 30 percent in the past two weeks. Experts believe that two new subvariants may be contributing to this growth.
The rise of at-home testing obscures the data, and suggests that the true case increase may be far higher. Some newly available treatments are most effective when administered early in an infection, making testing more urgent.
Were right to be worried about our publicly available test results, said Dr. Cassandra Pierre, the associate hospital epidemiologist and director of public health programs at Boston Medical Center, who emphasized that nationally, testing capacity has diminished. Im absolutely concerned because I see transmission in family and work groups, and to vulnerable people.
At the height of the Omicron wave in early January, the United States was administering an average of 2.5 million tests per day. That number has dropped to an average of about 540,000 at the start of this week, according to the C.D.C.
Notable efforts to brake cases popped up this week, including the C.D.C.s two-week extension of the federal transportation mask requirement; the White Houses renewal of the Covid public health emergency for at least three more months; Philadelphias announcement that its indoor mask mandate will return; and several universities reinstatement of their mask policies.
Philadelphia is really the way its supposed to work, said Samuel Scarpino, the vice president of pathogen surveillance at the Rockefeller Foundations Pandemic Prevention Institute. The thing they do well is that they have public, published measures that say: If we hit this, the masks go on. People are ready, and its not a surprise.
The C.D.C., as of Thursday, does not recommend mandated masking for Philadelphia, nor for almost the entire rest of the country. Using data on new Covid-related hospital admissions and the percentage of hospital beds occupied by Covid patients, it says that only 0.4 percent of counties in the United States have high community levels of the virus.
When you use hospital-based metrics, you may be losing the story of whats happening in a vulnerable community, Dr. Pierre cautioned. She said that state and county data has become even more obscured because many states are phasing out testing, and because community testing centers have closed after the federal government ended a program that reimbursed providers for virus-related care for the uninsured.
BA.2 set off case surges earlier this year in Europe, where pandemic trends have acted as a harbinger for the United States. Americans have lower booster coverage than Europeans, Dr. Scarpino noted, and less immunity because more time has elapsed since most people got their second or third doses. The risk is higher here than in the U.K. and in Europe, he concluded.
Massachusetts, where new infections and positivity rates are rising, is offering family-friendly vaccination clinics at zoos, bowling alleys and Six Flags New England during next weeks school vacation period. The state is offering gift cards and free admission to some of the attractions, reminiscent of last years incentives when vaccines became widely available.
It makes sense that we want to move forward because we cant constantly stay on red alert, Dr. Pierre said. But this is not the time to do that.
Theres this assumption that future variants will be kinder and gentler, but theres no evidence of that. What we experience now is something different from what we might experience in the fall or winter.
We regularly answer frequently asked questions about life during the coronavirus crisis. If you have a question you'd like us to consider for a future post, email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the subject line: "Weekly Coronavirus Questions." See an archive of our FAQs here.
Many of us are returning from spring break travel and holiday celebrations with loved ones just as cases in parts of the United States and in some other countries are starting to tick back up.
Testing for COVID is as critical now as it was in earlier stages of the pandemic in order to understand where cases are rising and so that you can seek treatment.
So you may be wondering: When do I need to test now? And can I trust a first test result?
First off: If you develop COVID-like symptoms, test as soon as possible.
And let's assume you're going to self-test because you don't have easy access to a facility that offers PCR tests and/or your insurance doesn't cover it and/or you don't want to wait extra time for results rather than an instant read off a do-it-yourself antigen test.
So you take that home test... and it's negative. Are you in the clear? Maybe, but not definitively. Our experts suggest testing again after a couple of days.
Your body's response to SARS-CoV-2 infection depends on your level of immunity from previous encounters with the virus and from vaccines and boosters.
So it's possible that the negative result is correct and you simply didn't get infected.
Or you might not have enough "viral load" in the early stages of being infected to test positive. That can happen if you have some degree of immunity from a prior case or a vaccination but you get infected anyway (see: Nancy Pelosi).
That's why experts recommend testing at least twice. Test number one would come when you first have concerns that you are infected based on symptoms.
And if you've been exposed to someone with COVID or were in a higher-risk situation (traveling, karaoke party, Gridiron dinner) and then plan to be around an older relative or a child too young to be vaccinated or someone who's immune-compromised?
"If you are going to be around the vulnerable population that can't be protected from the disease and, unfortunately, we have a lot of people that fall into that category then you should do everything in your power to try and make sure you don't have the virus," said Omai Garner, director of clinical microbiology in the UCLA Health System.
You might be tempted to test right away to ease your anxiety. But the recommendation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is to wait five days after a possible exposure.
It takes a little while for the virus to build up in your body. Testing too soon might give you a false negative.
"You can't take a pregnancy test the day after intercourse to see if you're pregnant, right?" Bergstrom said. The rapid test for COVID is "an excellent test it just has to be used properly and at the right time."
And there's a reason tests come in pairs of two, Garner said. "You need to use them in the pair that they come in, and have multiple days in between, in order to be sure."
And for that second test, waiting a few hours doesn't count because your viral load still might not be high enough to detect. Testing experts suggest an interval of 48 hours before a second test.
Now if you do go for a PCR test, you won't have quite the same concerns. That's because for rapid home tests to turn positive, you need a higher viral load: Those antigen tests don't amplify the sample as PCR tests do.
For those with prior immunity to the virus, "most people feel that a PCR is positive 24 hours sooner than the rapid," says Ida Bergstrom, an internal medicine physician at a medical and travel clinic that conducts testing in Washington, D.C.t.
If you've developed symptoms after close, significant contact, you might consider getting a PCR even after negative rapid tests.
"If your husband is positive, and you develop symptoms, and you have a negative rapid and then the subsequent day you have a negative rapid I would still personally do a PCR before I called myself in the clear," Bergstrom says.
And should I contact my doctor if I have a positive test?
YES. There are a few reasons why.
If you are at risk of severe outcomes because of your age or preexisting conditions, you should try to get highly effective antivirals or monoclonal antibodies as soon as you test positive. The faster you can get the treatments, the better they work but they can only be prescribed after a positive test.
Even if you're not at high risk, you should let your doctor know of your positive test so that they can help you monitor your symptoms and have a more complete record of your health history.
This is a really important step, because you could go on to develop long COVID even after a mild illness, even if you were previously healthy. Between 10 to 50% of people who recover from COVID have long-term symptoms.
"If your symptoms linger or if there's any question with disability or anything in the future, it's nice that there's a trail," Bergstrom said.
Insurance companies may not cover treatments for long COVID if you don't have documented evidence of a positive test, and you may not be able to apply for disability without it.
It's also a great idea to report your home test results to your local health department, if that's an option, so that they can track local cases. Some states and cities also offer services like deferred rent or mortgage assistance for those who test positive.
Melody Schreiber (@m_scribe) is a journalist and the editor of What We Didn't Expect: Personal Stories About Premature Birth.
As coronavirus cases continue to rise nationally, three Massachusetts counties now have medium levels of COVID-19, according to the federal government.
As of Friday, Berkshire, Middlesex and Suffolk counties have been designated as having medium COVID-19 community levels by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Designations are determined by looking at the number of hospital beds in use, hospital admissions and new coronavirus cases in an area, the CDC said.
According to data collected from April 7-13 and posted on the CDCs website, Berkshire, Middlesex and Suffolk counties seven-day average case rates were 220.90, 231.68 and 258.24 per 100,000 residents, respectively.
The communities in the three counties that had the highest case counts from March 27-April 9 were Boston in Suffolk County with 3,024 infections, Cambridge in Middlesex County with 1,138 and Pittsfield in Berkshire County with 151, data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Healths website showed. Looking at the 14-day average of cases, Cambridge had one of the highest infection rates with 72.6 cases per 100,000 residents, while Boston only had 31.2, and Pittsfield had 24.5.
A medium COVID-19 community level means residents in a county with this designation should stay up to date with coronavirus vaccines and get tested and wear a mask if they have symptoms, receive a positive test and/or are exposed to someone with the virus. Residents are also still required to wear masks on public transportation in Massachusetts.
You may choose to wear a mask at any time as an additional precaution to protect yourself and others, the CDC said. If you are at high risk for severe illness, consider wearing a mask indoors in public and taking additional precautions.
Massachusetts has seen a steady increase inCOVID-19 casesfor at least a month now. DPH reported 2,470 new cases of the virus Friday and 2,964 the day before, the highest single-day report in roughly two months. However, severe illness from the BA.2 subvariant,which the CDC estimatedmakes up more than 90% of new coronavirus cases in the Northeast, remains rare.
COVID-19 infections in the states public schools have also been increasing, rising for a fifth week in a row. Cases among students increased by nearly 44% as of Thursday, with 4,000 students testing positive for the virus from April 7-13, compared to 2,782 the week before. Infections among school staff also rose by 39%, with 1,363 staff members testing positive for the virus from April 7-13, compared to 984 the week before.
The number of coronavirus cases has been trending upward throughout the country as well. Toward the end of last month, the seven-day moving average of infections nationally reached its lowest of the year of 24,831 on March 29. As of Thursday, that number had climbed to 35,475. However, COVID-19-related hospital admission and deaths appear to be trending downward.
On Wednesday, the CDC announced it would be extending its nationwide mask mandate for planes, trains, buses and public transit hubs for two more weeks as it continues to monitor the spread of the Omicron variant and BA.2 subvariant. The federal agency noted that since early April, there have been increases in the seven-day moving average of cases in the U.S.
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