By: Richard L. Smith
As New Jersey residents enjoy the final weeks of summer, health data is offering a reminder that respiratory illnesses don’t necessarily take the season off.
According to the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 activity is increasing nationally and regionally, although the overall amount of acute respiratory illness causing people to seek medical care remains very low across the United States. Seasonal influenza activity also remains low. (CDC Covid Data)
The numbers should not be interpreted as evidence of a major COVID-19 surge in New Jersey. Instead, they offer a reason for residents to remain aware as summer winds down and families prepare for the start of another school year.
CDC wastewater monitoring is one tool used to track COVID-19 because it can detect changes in the amount of the virus circulating in communities, including infections among people who may never seek medical care or have symptoms. (CDC)
And COVID isn’t the only illness circulating. The CDC reports that rhinovirus/enterovirus , viruses frequently associated with cold-like illnesses, has also been increasing nationally. (CDC Covid Data)
I recently dealt with a mild flu-like illness myself that was not COVID-19. It lasted about a week, and I handled it much like I would have during the colder months, getting plenty of rest and keeping up with fluids.
It was also a personal reminder that while we often associate colds, flu and other respiratory illnesses with fall and winter, getting sick during the summer certainly isn’t impossible.
For New Jersey residents, there is no reason for alarm based on the current national picture.
The CDC’s latest data simply provides a timely reminder to pay attention to symptoms and take the usual precautions when feeling sick.