COVID-19 on the Rise, Again?

This summer marks the highest number of reported COVID-19 cases this year. In the first week of July, Florida has reported 21,531 COVID cases. This is a nine-fold increase from the numbers reported in April, which were around 2,390. Miami-Dade, Broward, Hillsborough, and Orange counties have seen the highest number of cases. This increase is being caused by the new, contagious strains of the Omicron variant, which create symptoms like those of a mild cold. Most people who have caught this strain have said the symptoms are mild, such as a stuffy nose or slight fever. However, some people with existing health problems can still get very sick. The COVID-19 death number has been reported to be around 3,000 this year compared to 8,000 in the previous year. A quarantine of 3-5 days and wearing a mask is still recommended if you test positive, especially to protect others with weakened immune systems. Now that COVID isn’t as prevalent as it was in 2021, fewer people are receiving vaccines. The vaccines can’t predict future strains of the virus, therefore it will be a few strains behind; however, they can still help prevent severe illness.