Foodborne illness increase? Common cold, Covid-19 summer wave, and more.
The Dose (August 25)
As children return to school, health officials are noticing an uptick in the common cold among students. This is a common occurrence as children mix in close quarters at school. The peak of runny noses is expected around mid-September, allowing other viruses like the flu and RSV to increase.
According to the CDC, respiratory virus positivity tests are currently high for the common cold. While seasonal changes typically cause a decline in colds, other illnesses may take their place.
The ongoing Covid-19 summer wave continues to expand across the nation. Wastewater data from Biobot indicates low community transmission nationwide, but increases are seen in the West and South. Emergency department visits mirror this trend, with numbers rising across all states.
Children under 5 years old are the most affected group in emergency departments, but those hospitalized with Covid-19 are primarily those over 65 years old.
Written by urgent.news from Your Local Epidemiologist's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
