Beginning July 31, University Health pharmacies will temporarily pause administering the COVID-19 vaccine. This is due to nationwide preparations for an updated vaccine formula. Learn more on our website.
Why is COVID-19 up again?
There are a number of reasons we're seeing more COVID-19 activity again and more infections. The main reason is this virus continues to spin off new mutations and new strains. Over time, these strains acquire a combination of mutations that allow it to get around our antibodies, which is the response our body gets after we've had infection or a vaccine, and we're seeing that driving some of the infections.
The other reason is that we've seen increased activity in the summer and years past. There are more people traveling and because of the intense heat outside, more people are gathered indoors where we have less ventilation than outdoors.
And lastly, we're several months out from the respiratory virus season in the winter. So a lot of people's natural immunity is probably a little bit lower now and people a little more susceptible to infection.
When will we get a new booster?
There is an updated COVID vaccine that's anticipated to be available in September. It will target the JN.1 strain, which is close to the circulating strains right now.
Should I get the current booster now or wait until September for the updated one?
The updated vaccine is going to be around pretty soon in late August or early September. If you really wanted to get the existing vaccine, you could. But keep in mind that if you get it, you'll need to wait about three months before you get the updated vaccine.
If you have questions about that, I recommend talking to your doctor. You could look at your risk factors for more severe COVID infection to see if you should get the existing vaccine. I think most people are going to hold tight and get that updated vaccine when it comes out.
How will the new booster protect me better?
This updated COVID vaccine that's coming out soon targets the strains that are circulating now a little bit better. Similar to the updated flu vaccine every year, they pick a vaccine with components that will more closely match what they anticipate will be circulating.
What is the most common variant out now and will the new booster protect me against that?
The most common variant right now are offshoots of this JN.1. So it's kind of alphabet soup. But it's important to recognize we've moved away from the XBB variants or the strains that we were seeing in the middle of last year. These new variants are called FLiRT variants, and that relates to two different mutations in these strains.
And again, these are the two mutations that are making it so contagious and infectious right now that are allowing these new strains to get around our immune response from prior infections or prior vaccinations. It's important that we identify that and have this updated COVID booster to more closely match what's circulating.
If the new booster was developed before the latest variant happened, how can it protect me?
One of the concerns we have with the COVID vaccine is how closely does it match what's circulating now. The good news is with some of these newer vaccine platforms, these mRNA platforms, are able to produce the vaccine a little bit faster than we saw with more traditional platforms. So it's a little bit easier to match what's in the vaccine to what's circulating because there's less lead time needed to produce the vaccines.
When will we have a combined COVID-19/flu vaccine?
It will not be available this fall. It hasn't gone through all the other regulatory hurdles it has to go through to be available to the general public, but we should anticipate that it will be available next year and that will make things a lot more convenient.
There's still hope for the combined flu/COVID vaccine that will make things much more convenient for lots of people. Moderna has finished some phase three trials, which is the last stage of trials that has to be performed to show that this vaccine is clinically effective. And the good news was that they saw very positive results in antibody levels in people who received this combined vaccine.
How long can I use my home COVID test past the expiration date on the box?
COVID tests have an expiration date because there's liquid in the test that can evaporate over time. And the testing strips have some antibodies that are specific for the virus that causes COVID. Over time, the protein in those strips will break down and make that test less effective.
So if you use an expired test, you have a higher chance you're going to have a false negative, meaning it says it's negative, but you may actually have COVID. Check if that expiration date has been extended because the FDA has allowed some extension of some of the test kits.
The best way to check that is to go to the FDA website. You can match it with your test and the lot number, and it’ll tell you what the extended expiration date is if it has been extended. So you may be able to use it longer than what it says on the box.
How long does my natural immunity to COVID last after I’ve had it?
For most people, natural immunity lasts for about three to four months.
That can change depending on your age, medical conditions you may have, or some medicines you may take that suppress your immune system. It also depends because some people have milder infections and have less robust of an immune response.
Are there any specific symptoms associated with the new variant?
People are continuing to have the classic symptoms that we now associate with COVID:
- Sore throat
- Nasal congestion
- Cough
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Loss of smell and taste
How do I know if I have COVID, flu or another respiratory illness?
The signs and symptoms that you have with COVID, flu and other respiratory illnesses are pretty nonspecific, and they overlap quite a bit. So, it's impossible to tease out which of those you may have.
We can guess when COVID numbers are really high like they are now, and the other respiratory viruses are lower that it's more likely to be COVID. But the only way you would be able to confirm it is with a diagnostic test like a PCR test that's done in specialized labs. Most people probably don't need that. Get COVID-19 testing at a University Health walk-in clinic.
It is important to know that all these viral illnesses are transmissible to other people and so you should keep that in mind. Please stay home if you're sick, wear a mask if you're going to be around others so you don't expose other people to illness.
How can we protect ourselves when COVID levels are high?
It's important for us to stay informed of where COVID level is at so that as we learn to live with COVID, we learn what measures we need to take to protect ourselves. Everybody should do their own risk calculation, what risk factors do they have for more severe disease, particularly people that are over 50 or over 65. If you have underlying medical illnesses, if you take medicines that might impair your immune system.
COVID levels are really high in our community right now. If you're going to go to a crowded indoor space where there's not great ventilation, you should consider wearing a mask because you're going to be around other people that may be minimally symptomatic but still able to transmit COVID to you.
Take some precautions if you have risk factors that put you at high risk for infection. If you have symptoms, please stay home. Also taking a test to confirm if you have COVID is a good idea because if you're at risk for severe disease you can also take Paxlovid. You could take things that can help reduce your risk of having more severe disease.
How long should someone isolate if they have COVID?
The newest CDC recommendations on isolation for COVID is that people stay home until at least 24 hours past their last fever and overall improvement in their symptoms. Then they should wear a mask around other people for five days from their symptom onset.
Beginning July 31, University Health pharmacies will temporarily pause administering the COVID-19 vaccine. This is due to nationwide preparations for an updated vaccine formula. Learn more on our website.
