COVID Cases Are Rising Again. Here’s How to Stop It From Ruining Your Summer

Two new variants are fueling an uptick in infections, hospitalizations, and deaths.

June 26, 2024

Two people sitting on a beach while wearing bathing suits and face masks.

Four years into the pandemic—which, yes, is still very much a thing—COVID is probably the last thing you want to hear about as you pack your summer vacay suitcase and plan to meet friends for rooftop happy hours. But if you clicked on this article, I’m assuming you care at least a little bit about not catching it, whether that’s for the first time or the tenth.

Here’s the rundown: Experts are sounding the alarm about an uptick in SARS-CoV-2 activity in the US in the last couple of weeks. According to the CDC, hospitalizations are up by 25% and deaths by about 17% in the US since the beginning of June. Meanwhile, wastewater coronavirus activity—essentially how much virus is in poop water, which is currently one of the best ways to predict COVID spread—is “low” nationwide, but on an upward trend and considered “high” in 53 sites (out of about 1,400) in states including Florida, New York, California, Hawaii, and Utah.

Philip Chan, MD, MS, an infectious disease expert at Brown University, tells SELF he’s “not sure we’re at a new wave yet,” but that the emergence of two omicron subvariants called LB.1 and KP.3 are “fueling what’s looking like a slight bump in cases” this summer. Dr. Chan says this suggests that the coronavirus, which has surged each summer and winter for the past few years, isn’t quite following the same pattern as the common cold and flu, which tend to ramp up in colder months.

Thanks to new treatments, vaccines, and widespread immunity, “we’re in a totally different place at this point in the pandemic,” Dr. Chan says. However, the risk of long COVID still looms every time you test positive, Dr. Chan says. Research suggests that repeat infections increase your chances of getting long COVID and could magnify the severity of your symptoms if you already have it.

How you choose to stay safe during this mini-surge in coronavirus activity is generally a personal decision, given that the government scrapped all preventive measures and basically left public health up to the honor system. “Everyone’s situation is a little different, which is partly setting-dependent and partly person-dependent, so it really comes down to weighing the risks and benefits with your doctor,” Dr. Chan says. You should do what you want and can to lower your personal risk of infection. Just keep in mind that your actions (or lack thereof) also affect others who may be more vulnerable to COVID, even if you don’t care about getting infected again.

The basics still apply, though, he says. This means washing your hands when you get home from school or work and canceling dinner plans if you’re sick. Wear a well-fitting N-95 mask around others who are more likely to come down with a severe infection (like your grandparents, or your friend who has cancer) and in public places where you might encounter elderly people or more folks who have health conditions that weaken their immune system.

Experts say we’re looking at the busiest summer travel season ever, which could also contribute to COVID spread. Consider laying low for a few days before a big trip to avoid getting yourself or your family sick, and whip out a mask in the airport and on the plane to help keep others around you safe, just in case. (Because even if you don’t personally care that much about catching COVID, remember that the symptoms can still wipe you out long enough to ruin your vacation!)

If you haven’t gotten a COVID vaccine since, say, the fall of 2022, Dr. Chan says you can get a booster now—just wait about three months or so before getting your next one, especially if you tested positive recently.

Immunocompromised and already up to date on your shots? You can safely get another one at least two months after your last dose, the CDC says. Dr. Chan “strongly recommends” you get one now, and then also get the updated shot that will target newer variants slated to come out this fall. And if you’re generally healthy but 65 or older, you can get one extra shot of any updated COVID vaccine at least four months after your previous dose.

If you have symptoms like fever, chills, sore throat, or nausea, it’s a good idea to get tested. The best time to take an at-home rapid antigen test is as soon as you have symptoms, but if it’s negative, retest two days later since false negatives are more common early on. (The CDC says that if you have symptoms but have had two negative antigen test results spaced 48 hours apart, then you likely don’t have COVID, but it’s not a bad idea to test a third time too.)

If you spent time with someone who tested positive for COVID but you don’t have symptoms, wait five days before testing yourself (and mask up in public in the meantime).

If you are sick with COVID, stay away from others until your symptoms are at least “getting better overall” and you have not had a fever for at least a day, the CDC says, which adds that you can still be contagious beyond this “stay-at-home period.” Throughout this time, it’s also a good idea to run an air purifier or open the windows in your home, wear a mask when you’re around housemates, and generally just keep your distance.

It’s a bummer to have to think about COVID during such a fun, social time of the year, but a little advance planning and a few extra precautions can go a long way toward keeping you and everyone else around you safe—and help ensure that being sick doesn’t keep you from doing all the exciting things you have planned in the coming months.