Conversation Starters

COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations are on the rise across the country.

• Two subvariants—KP.2 and KP.3, from the family known as FLiRT—are driving the surge, accounting for more than half of all new COVID-19 infections in the U.S.
• The U.S. often experiences a spike in cases in the summer, but wastewater data suggests that this summer’s COVID-19 wave started weeks earlier than last summer’s wave.
• According to the CDC, COVID-19 infections don’t follow a seasonal pattern like RSV and the flu, which primarily circulate during the fall and winter.

Since COVID-19 poses a risk year round, taking precautions to protect yourself and those around you is critical.

• Wear a high-quality, well-fitting mask to dramatically reduce your risk of inhaling respiratory virus particles and of spreading viral particles to others.
• If you’re experiencing symptoms—including a sore throat, cough, runny nose, fever, nausea, diarrhea, shortness of breath, or loss of taste or smell—stay home and away from others. Seek medical attention if your symptoms are severe or if you have risk factors for severe illness.
• To test for COVID-19, take an at-home rapid antigen test. If the test is negative, take another test 48 hours later. One negative rapid test is not enough to confirm that you’re COVID-free.
• If you don’t have symptoms—but you know you were exposed or are testing before a gathering—take three at-home rapid antigen tests 48 hours apart to improve the odds of getting an accurate reading. For a more accurate diagnosis, you can also get a PCR, or molecular, test from a health care provider or purchase one for self-testing at home
• If you’re hosting a gathering, opt to stay outside or take steps to improve indoor ventilation by opening windows and doors and using high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. You can also build your own Corsi-Rosenthal box, which can capture about 85 percent of infectious particles.

New COVID-19 vaccines will be available this fall, likely in September.

• The updated vaccines will target the more recently circulating subvariants and will become available in August or September.
• The updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna will target KP.2, the currently circulating subvariant that descends from JN.1. The updated COVID-19 vaccine from Novavax will target the JN.1 subvariant that was dominant earlier this year. 
• If you get the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine that’s still available and are 65 or older, wait four months before getting the updated COVID-19 vaccine this fall.

Talk to your health care provider about whether you should get another COVID-19 vaccine now or wait until the new vaccines are released this fall.

• Dr. Peter Hotez of the Baylor College of Medicine says, “If you’ve not been at all vaccinated with the [vaccine] from the fall of 2023, you do have some risk with this current surge and might give serious thought to getting the currently available vaccine, especially if you are traveling or have underlying risk factors.” 
• If you have not yet received last year’s updated COVID-19 vaccine, or if you are 65 or older or immunocompromised, you can still get it now before more updated COVID-19 vaccines become available in the fall.

It is safe to donate blood after getting a COVID-19 vaccine, despite what some vaccine opponents say online.

• In a May 29 statement, the American Red Cross confirmed that COVID-19 vaccines don’t make you ineligible to donate blood and that it is safe to receive blood from vaccinated people.
• Potential blood donors are asked whether they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19 and for their vaccine’s manufacturer because according to Food and Drug Administration guidance, people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine with a live virus must wait two weeks before donating blood—but none of the COVID-19 vaccines approved in the U.S. contain a live virus.
• If you can’t remember your vaccine’s manufacturer, as a precaution, you will be asked to wait two weeks from the time of your vaccination to donate blood.
• If you received an FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax, or Johnson & Johnson, you can donate blood without needing to wait if you’re feeling well and don’t have any symptoms.

The questions for blood donors don’t mean that COVID-19 vaccines (or any other vaccine) are unsafe.

• Questions about your vaccination status before donating are standard and have nothing to do with the safety of vaccines. Blood donation organizations want to know whether you received a vaccine with a live virus because there is a risk that the live weakened virus contained in some vaccines could be passed through the blood.
• Potential donors who have received vaccines that contain live viruses—such as the yellow fever, polio, or chickenpox vaccines—are asked to wait before donating blood.
• The waiting period for those vaccines doesn’t mean that they’re unsafe; it is just a precaution. Like the COVID-19 vaccines, these vaccines have saved millions of lives and are safe.

Blood donation saves lives and is especially needed right now.

• In January, the Red Cross said there was an emergency blood shortage in the U.S. and that the number of donors hit a 20-year low.
• The organization added that “all blood donations offer the same life-saving therapeutic benefits, regardless of the vaccination status of the donor.”
• Encourage the people in your community to donate if they can. Check out the Red Cross website for donor eligibility requirements and to find a local blood drive.

An analysis of California data found that older adults are most likely to die from COVID-19.

• The Bay Area News Group analyzed COVID-19 deaths in California between September 1, 2023, and February 29, 2024, and found that while COVID-19 deaths declined across age groups since 2020, the proportion of COVID-19 deaths in older adults increased.
• People 65 and older made up nearly 90 percent of COVID-19 deaths in California.
• While people can die from a COVID-19 infection at any age, respiratory viruses like COVID-19 are particularly dangerous for older adults because our immune systems weaken as we age, and older adults are more likely to have underlying health conditions.

Improved vaccination coverage in Latino communities has led to declining deaths.

• While Latino individuals made up the largest proportion of COVID-19-related deaths in 2020, the percentage of COVID-19-related Latino deaths decreased and the percentage of white Californians who died from COVID-19 nearly doubled during the analysis period.
• When COVID-19 vaccines became available, Latino communities were not getting vaccinated as quickly as white communities due to lack of access and insufficient outreach, but this trend has changed. In addition, California’s Latino population is younger overall, which reduces the risk of death from COVID-19.
• A 2023 KFF poll found that slightly more Black and Hispanic adults reported getting an updated COVID-19 vaccine compared to white adults. (The poll specifically refers to Hispanic adults.) The poll also found white adults were less likely to take precautions against catching and spreading COVID-19.

COVID-19 is less deadly now than it was in 2020, but the virus is still dangerous for people across demographics.

• A COVID-19 infection can cause severe illness, heart problems, and death. Nearly one in 10 U.S. adults who contracted COVID-19 are suffering from long COVID.
• Staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines reduces the risk of complications. Wearing a high-quality, well-fitting mask around others also reduces the risk of contracting the virus.
• The CDC recommends people 65 and older receive an additional dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine this spring—if at least four months have passed since their last dose. People who are immunocompromised may receive an additional dose of the updated vaccine at least two months after their last dose.

There is still no single, FDA-approved treatment for long COVID, but doctors can help patients manage individual symptoms.

• Therapies, including those to improve lung function and retrain your sense of smell, as well as medications for pain and blood pressure regulation, may be part of long COVID treatment.
• Studying myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and HIV may help researchers better understand long COVID and improve treatment options.
• Getting diagnosed and treated for long COVID may be challenging for patients—especially for women and people of color, whose symptoms may be dismissed by doctors. Incorporating mental health support and seeking support from loved ones may help patients manage the stress associated with seeking treatment.

Long COVID patients may be eligible for government benefits that can ease financial burdens.

• Studies estimate that roughly 4 million people are out of work due to long COVID, and patients may have to travel for treatment.
• While long COVID qualifies as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, navigating the application process can be challenging. The Pandemic Legal Assistance Network provides pro bono support for long COVID patients applying for disability benefits.
• Long COVID patients may be eligible for other forms of government assistance, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, and rental and utility assistance programs.

Getting reinfected with COVID-19 can worsen existing long COVID symptoms, but patients can take steps to stay protected.

• Staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines dramatically reduces the risk of developing long COVID in the first place.
• For patients who already live with long COVID, staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines may improve symptoms and reduce inflammation.
• Research shows that wearing a high-quality, well-fitting mask reduces the risk of contracting COVID-19—even when others are not masking.

The CDC recommends people 65 and older receive an additional dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine this spring after at least four months since they received a COVID-19 vaccine.

• People who are immunocompromised may receive an additional dose of the updated vaccine at least two months after their last dose.
• The shot would be an additional dose of the updated Pfizer, Moderna, or Novavax vaccines that were approved last fall.
• It’s safe to receive an updated vaccine from any of the three manufacturers, regardless of which COVID-19 vaccines you received in the past.
• Updated COVID-19 vaccines are available at pharmacies. Visit Vaccines.gov to find an appointment near you.

Updated COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting against severe illness, hospitalization, death, and long COVID.

• Last October and November, adults who had recently received an updated COVID-19 vaccine accounted for only 4 percent of COVID-19-related hospitalizations.
• Those who were vaccinated against COVID-19 in 2022—but did not receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine—accounted for 25 percent of COVID-19-related hospitalizations.
• Staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines is a safer and more reliable way to build protection against COVID-19 than getting sick from COVID-19.

The CDC has also updated isolation recommendations for people who are sick with COVID-19.

• According to the CDC’s general respiratory virus guidance, people who are sick with COVID-19 or another common respiratory illness, like the flu or RSV, should isolate until they’ve been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and their symptoms are improving.
• After that, the CDC recommends that people who are sick take additional precautions for the next five days, including masking while around others and improving ventilation.
• COVID-19 remains a highly contagious disease that can cause severe illness, death, and long-term health complications. If you are sick with COVID-19, you can infect others for five to 12 days, or longer.