Are COVID cases rising in California? What to know as kids head back to school

Hanh Truong

As students head back to school in California, COVID-19 cases are surging across the state, including the Sacramento area.

Here’s the latest on COVID levels in the state and Sacramento:

Are COVID-19 cases increasing in California? Sacramento?

In its latest update on Aug. 9, the California Department of Public Health reported that the state had a 14.3% test positivity rate on average over a seven-day period.

This is an increase of 2.3% compared to the previous week, the department said on its website.

In the same Aug. 9 update, the state health department reported that COVID-19 was the cause of 1.8% of total deaths in California over the previous seven days.

On July 30, 1.9% of recent deaths in the state were tied to the novel coronavirus, the agency said.

Nationally, viral activity levels for COVID-19 in wastewater are “very high,” according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cases of a new COVID-19 strain, known as KP.3.1.1, have nearly doubled in recent weeks, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Good Brigade/GettyImages
Cases of a new COVID-19 strain, known as KP.3.1.1, have nearly doubled in recent weeks, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Good Brigade/GettyImages

Is there a new coronavirus variant?

Cases of a new COVID-19 strain, known as KP.3.1.1, have nearly doubled in recent weeks, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As of Aug. 3, the variant was linked to about 27.8% of all COVID-19 cases.

Eric Topol, a molecular medicine professor at Scripps Research, wrote in a post on X that the new variant poses “more of a challenge to our immune response than KP.3 and prior variants” — especially for those without latest vaccinations.

Variations in symptoms between the FLiRT variants and the original COVID-19 strain have not yet been identified. Imgorthand/Getty Images
Variations in symptoms between the FLiRT variants and the original COVID-19 strain have not yet been identified. Imgorthand/Getty Images

What are the symptoms of latest COVID strain?

KP.3.1.1 is among the novel coronavirus strains known as “FLiRT” variants, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

While the new strains of COVID-19 are “indeed more transmissible than the original (ancestral) strain of SARS-CoV-2,” variations in symptoms between the FLiRT variants and the original COVID-19 strain have not yet been identified, the medical association reported in July.

Symptoms of KP.3.1.1 are similar to those of the other COVID-19 variants. They include:

  • Fever or chills

  • Cough

  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

  • Fatigue

  • Muscle or body aches

  • Headache

  • New loss of taste or smell

  • Sore throat

  • Congestion or runny nose

  • Nausea or vomiting

  • Diarrhea

According to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, KP.3.1.1 cases have nearly doubled. Getty Images
According to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, KP.3.1.1 cases have nearly doubled. Getty Images

Is coronavirus still a problem as school starts?

The latest increase in coronavirus cases stems from the FLiRT subvariants, according to UC Davis Health.

“I think a lot of families have moved on from COVID but COVID is still with us and has been making that known this summer with the latest surge,” Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital, said in a Q&A with the hospital.

Blumberg recommends that everyone 6 months and older get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Additionally, Blumberg advises that parents test their children if they aren’t feeling well and to mask up when traveling or in crowded areas.

In June, the CDC announced the 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be available this fall 2024. Getty Images/iStockphoto
In June, the CDC announced the 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be available this fall 2024. Getty Images/iStockphoto

Will COVID vaccines protect me?

“The newest vaccine works really well” to protect yourself from FLiRT variants, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor and doctor specializing in infectious disease at the University of California, San Francisco, told The Sacramento Bee in May.

Vaccines are consistently updated to the latest strain of COVID-19 to help people avoid severe disease and hospitalization, Chin-Hong said.

According to Vaccines.gov, the latest COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be available in September.

Is it COVID, the flu or allergies?

COVID-19 isn’t the only thing in the air.

Allergies, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus also circulate throughout the year, and may have overlapping symptoms such as fever, chills and coughing.

You can lower your chances of getting sick by staying up to date on vaccines, staying home when feeling unwell and treating any symptoms

Have a question about life in California?

How to California — a guide to help you live, work and enjoy life in the Golden State, is here to help.

We’ll answer your questions — big and small — about state laws, history, culture, recreation and travel.

Ask your questions in the form below (can’t see it? Click here) or email howtocalifornia@mcclatchy.com.

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