COVID infections on the rise: Here's what you need to know to protect yourself

WORCESTER — There's no doubt the number of COVID-19 infections are on the rise this summer. If it’s not an official surge, it’s a steep upward curve, and the numbers prove it.

Massachusetts experienced a 33% spike in confirmed and probable COVID cases in the past month, according to the state Department of Public Health. Cases jumped from 1,901 in early July to 2,929 in early August.

At UMass Memorial Health, patients infected with COVID have “gone up pretty remarkably,” said Dr. Richard Ellison, a infectious disease physician at UMass. Ellison placed the current daily number at more than 700 patients throughout the UMass system, compared to 250 daily in June.

UMass employees have also experienced a marked increase in infections, said Ellison. Currently, 10 workers on average contracted COVID over the previous seven days, compared to two to three over the previous seven days in June.

Last week UMass asked all staff working with patients to mask up to reduce the risk of COVID spread, according to Ellison. Not only was the move taken to protect patients but also staff, as Ellison said there are specialized units, like the cardiac catheter group, that can’t afford to have staff out sick because it’s not easy finding replacements.

Why the increase?

As for what is causing this summer's COVID uptick, Ellison said it's FLiRT variants and subvariants connected to omicron variants that caused a major COVID surge in 2021. FLiRT’s presence in Worcester mirrors what is happening nationally, said Ellison.

The number of confirmed COVID cases in Worcester averaged slightly more than 50 weekly over the past month, according to the state Department of Public Health. A breakdown of the numbers include 51 from July 28 to Aug. 3, 107 from July 21 to Aug. 3, 182 from July 7 to Aug. 3, and 213 from June 30 to Aug. 3.

A repeat of the omicron surge is unlikely with FLiRT, said Ellison, because most people who contracted the latest variants are asymptomatic or experienced a mild case of the disease. Only a small percentage of patients needed to go to a hospital.

What makes FLiRT contagious are infections centered in the nose, said Ellison. The feeling is like a head cold, and the virus is spread through sneezing. It’s a more efficient way to spread COVID, compared to earlier surges when many infections were embedded in the lungs that caused severe pneumonia and hospital stays, said Ellison.

'Little bit' of an increase

This summer's upswing in COVID numbers statewide doesn’t appear to overly concern Dr. Larry Madoff, medical director of infectious disease and laboratory sciences at the state Department of Public Health.

"There is a little bit of an upswing in COVID cases,” said Madoff, who pointed out that while COVID tends to cause higher infection rates in the winter when more people are indoors, there have been COVID upticks in summer months since the pandemic started in 2020.

“The current numbers are up there, but they're not out of the range of what is expected,” said Madoff.

Wastewater samples

Samples taken and analyzed at wastewater treatment plants are another tool to gauge the level of COVID-19 in a community.

At the Upper Blackstone Treatment Plant in Millbury, which processes wastewater from several communities including Worcester, the latest samples indicate a significant increase in the presence of COVID-19. The plant's seven-day average of effective concentration of COVID doubled from July 31 to Aug. 5 after a relatively steady level throughout July.

Don’t be alarmed by that result, said Madoff, because it’s normal to see daily and weekly fluctuations of COVID presence in wastewater. “Some fluctuations may not be that meaningful,” he said. In the case of the Blackstone plant that takes in considerably less wastewater than a plant like Deer Island in Winthrop, a few tainted samples can skew the numbers, Madoff said.

The Worcester DPH is monitoring the wastewater numbers, said Dr. Michael Hirsh, the city’s medical director. Worcester is part of the Central Massachusetts Regional Public Health Alliance, which includes Grafton, Shrewsbury and West Boylston, and Hirsh said those communities haven’t reported a significant increase in COVID infections.

Meanwhile, Hirsh said that the state health department could send Worcester more COVID test kits and preventive vaccines if infection numbers continue to rise. Madoff confirmed test kits are available to any community that requests them. As for vaccines, Madoff said pharmacies have adequate supplies.

New vaccine this fall

The FDA recommended new COVID vaccines for the fall designed to provide protection against existing and emerging variants. While Ellison said the current COVID uptick means those infected in recent weeks likely have immunity for up to five months, others whose last booster shot was earlier this year or last fall should get the new vaccine when it's available.

Worcester's vaccination rate against COVID-19 stands at 14.8% compared to 22.1% statewide. Some medical experts see those low rates as a clear sign that more people need to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated to protect themselves and their communities.

People with high-risk medical conditions should also get the vaccine, said Ellison, including those with weakened immune systems resulting from organ transplants and heart, lung and kidney disease. The severely obese also fall in this category.

If sick, stay home

The "biggest thing,” said Madoff, is don't spread the COVID virus, so stay home if you're sick. Also, stay away from indoor crowds and wear a mask if you have to be in a crowd.

If COVID symptoms arise, Madoff advises to consult your doctor for a Paxlovid prescription to help ward off immediate symptoms.

Hirsh cautioned to not “blow off” a sore throat and itchy eyes as simply a summer allergy, because it could be COVID. “If it's persisting and there are more symptoms than normal, then do some testing to see if you have it,” he said.

Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on X: @henrytelegram.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: What you need to know to protect yourself from COVID as cases rise