CDC Predicts a Late Summer Rise in COVID-19 Cases

According to National Public Radio (NPR), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is predicting a late summer increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, including hospitalizations.

As of Monday, July 31, the most recent data from the CDC indicated that hospital admissions for COVID-19 were up 10.3%, with 7,109 hospitalization between July 9 through July 15.

 “After roughly six, seven months of steady declines, things are starting to tick back up again,” Dr. Brendan Jackson, CDC COVID-19 incident manager, told NPR.

According to Jackson, signs of the disease, including coronavirus levels in wastewater, individuals testing positive for the virus, and people going to the emergency room with COVID-19 symptoms increased in early July.

“This could be the start of a late summer wave,” he said.

On a more positive note, Jackson also said that COVID-19 numbers, overall, continue to be lower this year than in the past three summers. Deaths, as well, are down, having dropped to the lowest level since the CDC started to track COVID-19 data. NPR reports that, just as during the pandemic, elderly individuals are accounting for most of the recent COVID-19 hospitalizations.

“If you sort of imagine the decline in cases looking like a ski slope—going down, down, down for the last six months—we’re just starting to see a little bit of…a little ski jump at the bottom,” Jackson said.

For now, the CDC has not changed its current recommendations regarding the prevention of COVID-19, which includes proper hand hygiene, staying home if you suspect you might have the virus, and distancing yourself from those with the virus. To help ensure that good hand hygiene is practiced at your facility, check out How Facility Managers Can Encourage Better Hand Hygiene.