Here are five key notes about the recent rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations:
1. Emergency room visits for COVID-19-related illnesses increased 18.4% and hospitalizations increased 13.3% from the previous week, as of June 29.
2. KP.3, KP.2, LB.1 and KP.1.1 are the four most common subvariants of the JN lineage of the virus currently infecting patients across the U.S. according to the CDC's most recent data.
3. On July 5, the CDC reported the amount of COVID-10 causing people to seek healthcare was low nationally. No jurisdiction is experiencing moderate, high or very high activity, despite increasing since April and May.
4. Here are five states with the highest increases in COVID-19 ED visits as of June 29:
- Nebraska: 82.1%
Percentage of ED visits diagnosed with COVID: 0.3%
- Georgia: 57.3%
Percentage of ED visits diagnosed with COVID: 0.4%
- Idaho: 56.6%
Percentage of ED visits diagnosed with COVID: 0.8%
- Louisiana: 39.4%
Percentage of ED visits diagnosed with COVID: 0.8%
- West Virginia: 34.9%
Percentage of ED visits diagnosed with COVID: 0.5%
5. COVID-19 is getting increasingly difficult to distinguish. Tests are now the only way to confirm — loss of taste and smell, and persistent cough were once telltale signs of the infection, but symptoms today vary widely.