"By many measures, the coronavirus is a thing of the past. Masks have been stored away. Social distancing is just a vague memory. Interest in vaccines is waning. COVID, for many, feels like an inevitable annoyance, like the flu. Then, each summer, we get a rude reminder. The season of travel and fun continues to bring a spike in COVID-19 activity, far less profound than during the height of the pandemic but enough for people to notice and worry."
"This summer's jump is being fueled by the subvariant XFG, nicknamed "Stratus." "As we learn more about COVID, we are seeing that it has two surges a year: the late fall/early winter and in the summer, so we expect this trend of increased cases in the summer to continue," said Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, the regional chief of infectious disease at Kaiser Permanente Southern California."
COVID-19 activity is rising in the summer driven by the XFG ("Stratus") subvariant and seasonal factors. Many people treat coronavirus as a past concern, but summer travel and social mixing increase transmission. Time spent indoors in air-conditioned, low-humidity spaces with poor ventilation enhances virus spread. Waning immunity from vaccination and prior infections reduces population protection. Viral mutations allow immune evasion and occasional variants gain advantage and spread. California's positive test rate rose to 11.59% for the week ending Aug. 16, up from 5.69% for the week ending July 19, indicating a notable summer uptick.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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