Hospital admissions related to COVID-19 have risen for the fifth consecutive week — including by 14.3 percent in the past week — and deaths have risen by 10 percent, according to data from the CDC.
Here are four other key COVID-19 updates to know:
1. The newest variant being monitored by the CDC — EG.5 — now accounts for about 17.3 percent of U.S. COVID-19 cases.
2. Some experts are concerned that new COVID-19 shots that would be more effective at preventing severe disease from current circulating strains will not be ready soon enough. The new shots were originally slated to be rolled out to the public by or in September, but that timeline has been pushed back to October, as regulatory agencies still need to sign off and make recommendations.
3. Between June 2022 and June 2023, instances of long COVID-19 have fallen from 7.5 percent to 6 percent.
4. Researchers identified a new potential long COVID symptom: pooling of blood in the legs, causing them to turn a bluish color.