Minnesota is one of only five states that has not seen a noticeable increase in COVID-19 cases so far, but the Fourth of July has been a flashpoint for the virus for the past four years, so an increase in cases may only be a matter of time.
Stephanie Meyer, supervisor of the Minnesota Department of Health’s COVID epidemiology division, said family gatherings and holiday celebrations present opportunities for the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, especially the newest variants that can overcome previous infections and immunity levels in people who have been vaccinated.
People who are unwell should remain vigilant and avoid close contact with others, even if they’re not sure whether their symptoms are due to COVID-19, the common cold or high levels of grass pollen that have triggered allergies this week, she said.
“If you’re thinking about visiting your grandma in a nursing home or someone who is immunocompromised, it’s wise not to go if you’re not feeling great,” she says, “because that’s how infections happen. That’s how they spread the disease to people who are not immune-compromised.”
COVID risks are far lower than 3 years of global pandemic: Virus levels detected in Minnesota sewage Late June That was slightly higher than the same period last year, but one-tenth the virus levels seen during the last major outbreak in February 2023.
Still, more than 330 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in Minnesota in June, and the infection has been linked to at least 16 deaths, most of them elderly people. Status Update The figures were released Wednesday. COVID-19 in the post-pandemic era remains more severe than influenza. The state reported 165 influenza-related deaths from October through mid-May, compared with 957 COVID-19-related deaths during the same period.
In three of the past four years, COVID-19 infection levels bottomed out in late June, but infection levels spiked after Independence Day in 2020 and 2021 and then gradually increased after the holiday in 2023.
But holiday gatherings alone aren’t to blame, Meyer said, especially considering many of them take place outdoors, where the risk of transmitting the virus is lower. COVID cases have historically peaked every winter, she noted, and immunity after infection tends to wane after six months, leaving people susceptible to infection again by midsummer.
Meyer said he expects cases to rise in the coming weeks as the number of infections rises. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 44 other statesSaliva samples from infected patients in Minnesota have revealed more of the so-called “FLiRT” coronavirus variant that is already causing problems in southern and western US states.
CDC in late June Encouraged people There’s also a push for existing vaccines, which were designed to combat other variants but still appear to be effective at reducing infection-related hospitalizations and deaths caused by the latest variants. New vaccines are expected to arrive in the fall. More than 780,000 Minnesotans have followed COVID vaccination recommendations, but that’s just 14% of the eligible population.