COVID-19 positivity rises above 3% as summer wave spreads across U.S.

The United States is experiencing a summer increase in COVID-19 cases, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting a test positivity rate above 3% for the week ending August 8, the highest level since March. The rise is evident in most states, although overall hospitalizations and deaths remain low.

Dr. Caitlin Rivers, an outbreak science expert at Johns Hopkins, said August is now "solidly Covid season" and noted that the South and West, particularly Florida, Texas and Georgia, are leading the current surge. Traditional respiratory illnesses such as flu and RSV remain at historically low levels this year, delaying the usual fall-winter peak of those viruses.

Tracking tools have become more limited since the pandemic, with the CDC no longer receiving comprehensive daily case counts or negative test results. Instead, the agency relies on wastewater analysis, emergency-room visits and selective lab data to assess community spread. State health officials, including Alabama’s Dr. Scott Harris, acknowledge the difficulty of interpreting the new metrics, describing the recent uptick as an increase without a clear denominator.

Public health experts recommend using platforms like PopHIVE, a free real-time health-trend tracker, and wastewater monitoring services such as WastewaterSCAN to gauge local risk. "It can be helpful to know what’s out there, and then take the measures that you feel comfortable with," said Dr. Amanda Zink, an emergency-room physician and Yale fellow.

Health authorities continue to advise basic preventive measures. The CDC recommends regular hand washing for about 20 seconds and the use of well-fitting N95 respirators to reduce transmission. Dr. James McDonald, New York State health commissioner, suggested that individuals at high risk consider a COVID-19 booster if more than eight months have passed since their last dose.

The FDA’s advisory committee has outlined components for the upcoming fall vaccine, expected to become available in late September, though the CDC has not yet issued a formal recommendation. New oral antiviral Xocova is authorized for post-exposure prophylaxis in people 12 and older, while Paxlovid remains available for early treatment of symptomatic infection, subject to insurance coverage.

The CDC advises anyone with symptoms to isolate, wear a mask around others and stay home to limit further spread.