What you need to know and what’s different this time around with COVID-19.

 

It’s been all over the news for the past month. 

Another summer COVID-19 surge means that myeloma patients and their families will, once again, need to exercise extra caution to protect themselves. 

So what’s different about COVID-19 this time around? Read on to find out. 

According to the latest wastewater data from the U.S. Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC), “the wastewater viral level activity for COVID-19 is currently HIGH” on the national level, with the West Coast having “the highest wastewater viral activity level.”

The U.S. is in the midst of another COVID-19 summer surge, with rising temperatures, droves of Americans traveling, and more people gathering indoors. 

Recently, the Los Angeles Times reported that coronavirus levels in wastewater have been “high or very high” in California, adding that 43 states as well as the District of Columbia either have “high” or “very high” wastewater coronavirus levels.

The most recent 7-day period data (which ended in July 20) indicated a 93 percent peak in coronavirus levels in California wastewater from the summer of 2022, said the L.A.Times on July 29.

In California, the COVID summer surge “has proved to be particularly strong and enduring, surprising experts with its tenacity as it storms into a third month.”  

For the week that ended on July 27 in Los Angeles County, an average of 389 COVID-19-positive patients were hospitalized per day—“roughly twice as high as a month ago. The latest number is about two-thirds of the peak from last summer and one-third the peak from the summer of 2022,” L.A.Times further reported. 

What You Need to Know 

The surge has been attributed to the emergence of highly transmissible FLiRT subvariants of Omicron, which accounted for most U.S. cases at the start of July.

Similar to the FLiRT variants but possessing an additional mutation is the LB.1 strain, which has been responsible for 14.9 percent of COVID infections since the beginning of summer.  

Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist Dr. Scott Roberts provided some information on the latest variants: 

• In the U.S., FLiRT variants and LB.1 strain were first detected in wastewater by the CDC. The same strains have also been found in several countries, including Canada and the UK. 
• The FLiRT subvariants are spinoffs of the JN.1.11.1 variant, while LB.1 also descended from JN.1, with an additional mutation that is still being studied by researchers. 
• LB.1 and KP.2.3 (which contains two FLiRT mutations and an additional one) may be more contagious compared to the other variants. However, since they are genetically similar to JN.1, symptoms may still be milder compared to earlier variants.
• No conclusive information has been provided by the CDC as to whether a COVID infection will be more severe or if symptoms might change with these new variants.
• Symptoms and severity may depend more on an individual’s immunity and overall health and less on which variant caused the infection.

Additionally, the L.A.Times reported that for the week that ended on August 3, “the CDC estimated that KP.3.1.1 comprised 27.8 percent of coronavirus samples nationwide, an astonishing jump from its 7.2 percent share a month ago.”

In an article from Health.com, infectious disease physician and assistant professor at the Burnett School of Medicine in Texas Christian University Nikhil Bhayani MD explains the reasons behind the surge: “Immunity to prior COVID infection is short-lived and tends to wane after three months.”

“The virus evolves and stays ahead of our immune system. As new variants appear, the immune system recognizes infection of past variants—so this can lead to an increase in new infections,” said Dr. Bhayani. This is why staying up to date with vaccinations is important because “vaccinations are effective in maintaining immunity for a relatively longer period of time,” he added. 

What You Should Do 

1. Stay up to date on vaccinations. 

According to Dr. Roberts, vaccination is still key in protecting ourselves against the FLiRT and LB.1 subvariants. The best approach is to stay up to date on the latest COVID vaccines—while they cannot fully protect one from being infected, vaccines can significantly lower one’s risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death caused by COVID-19. 

He strongly recommends that anyone ages 65 and above get the first updated vaccine that was offered in Fall 2023 plus a second shot four months after.  

For the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines for moderately to severely immunocompromised people, visit the CDC website.

2. Take preventive measures seriously. 

As recommended by CDC: Avoid contact with people who may be infected with COVID-19; wear a mask in high-risk situations; improve ventilation if necessary; wash and sanitize hands properly; and be aware of COVID-19 transmission levels in your area. 
 

3. Get tested and treated (if you test positive for COVID-19). 

According to Dr. Roberts, COVID tests are still able to detect strains related to the JN.1 variant. Antiviral treatments, especially Paxlovid is “relatively variant-proof and should really act against many future COVID iterations.” 
 

We have been practicing most of these preventive strategies for the past four years, since the onset of COVID-19 and during the pandemic. All we really need is to be vigilant and to exercise due diligence when and where it’s needed. 
 
To stay on top of the CDC’s wastewater surveillance data as well as variant proportions, visit the CDC COVID Data Tracker.
 
For the latest on COVID-19 for myeloma patients, visit Myeloma Patient Safety and the Coronavirus on myeloma.org. 
 
The IMF InfoLine Team is always ready to help. You may contact them by emailing [email protected] or by calling 1-800-452-CURE (2873) (in the U.S.) or 1-818-487-7455 (Canada and worldwide).