A new COVID variant is gaining strength, wastewater samples from across the U.S. show

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Wastewater samples throughout the nation discover that the virus that causes COVID is plentiful as a brand new variant gathers power. Therapies and vaccines nonetheless work in opposition to the brand new variant.

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

The U.S. is in full-on respiratory virus season. Many of the nation is experiencing excessive or very excessive respiratory virus ranges, in keeping with the facilities for Illness Management and Prevention. NPR well being correspondent Pien Huang joins us. Pien, thanks a lot for being with us.

PIEN HUANG, BYLINE: Thanks for having me.

SIMON: (Imitating coughing) Excuse me. What’s on the market?

HUANG: Effectively, there’s a lot – a number of virus on the market, Scott. We’re, as you talked about, within the thick of winter respiratory virus season. So there’s RSV. There’s flu. There’s COVID. There’s widespread chilly viruses. They usually all get a lift through the holidays when folks journey and collect. I talked to Amy Kirby, who runs the Nationwide Wastewater Surveillance program at CDC, and she or he says, in case you have a look at the wastewater knowledge, COVID ranges proper now are even larger than they had been final season. However nonetheless, she says…

AMY KIRBY: We’re nonetheless very far under the degrees that we had been seeing in 2022 with the omicron peak. So we’re not that form of, you realize, actually large wave of infections. That is rather more on par with what we noticed final yr.

HUANG: And although the extent of COVID is larger than it was final yr right now, different COVID metrics, like ER visits and hospitalization charges, these are decrease this yr, the CDC says.

SIMON: Does that imply we’re altering what I will confer with as our relationship with COVID?

HUANG: In some senses, sure. I imply, what it means proper now could be that COVID infections are inflicting critical illness much less typically than they did in earlier years. However COVID nonetheless is probably the most critical virus proper now. Final week, as an example, it put 35,000 new folks within the hospital. Not less than 1,200 folks died from it. And that’s much more than flu. Up to now this season, hospital capability has been typically secure, which is sweet information as a result of that implies that individuals who want care can typically get it.

SIMON: What concerning the new COVID variants although?

HUANG: OK. So the dominant variant proper now could be one referred to as JN.1 Right here within the U.S., it was first detected in September, and by Thanksgiving it was chargeable for round 8% of U.S. instances. Now it is as much as 60%. And JN.1 is taken into account an omicron variant, although there’s been some debate over whether or not it deserves its personal Greek letter because it has a number of genetic variations. However the signs are about the identical. And the exams, the vaccines and the remedies that we at the moment have do work in opposition to it.

SIMON: What ought to folks be doing now, given all of this?

HUANG: Effectively, public well being officers are actually leaning into encouraging folks to make use of the instruments we’ve. In order that begins with consciousness. You recognize, there are maps that the CDC and native well being departments are placing out that may assist folks determine how a lot virus is circulating the place they stay, and it is not too late to get vaccinated. You recognize, half of us adults haven’t gotten a flu shot this season. 4 out of 5 have not gotten the COVID booster. And that is particularly vital for older adults who’re at larger threat of dying from these diseases. And lastly, if you’re sick, like lots of people are proper now, the recommendation is to remain house so you do not unfold it on. Get examined in case you qualify for some prescription drugs that may aid you get higher, and to typically simply take excellent care of your self and the folks round you’re.

SIMON: Thanks very a lot. NPR well being correspondent Pien Huang.

HUANG: You are welcome, Scott.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This textual content is probably not in its closing type and could also be up to date or revised sooner or later. Accuracy and availability could range. The authoritative report of NPR’s programming is the audio report.

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