{"id":149339,"date":"2025-08-16T02:05:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-16T02:05:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/149339\/"},"modified":"2025-08-16T02:05:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-16T02:05:10","slug":"covid-may-peak-in-the-us-in-a-few-weeks-heres-what-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/149339\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID May Peak In The US In A Few Weeks. Here’s What To Know."},"content":{"rendered":"

Those sniffles likely aren\u2019t a summer cold; COVID-19<\/a> is everywhere right now. <\/p>\n

And things are expected to get worse before they get better. Some experts predict virus rates will continue to rise as we ride out this summer infection surge.<\/p>\n

Jay Weiland, an infectious disease modeler, shared on social media that he predicts the summer COVID-19<\/a> wave will hit a peak in early September. So, now\u2019s the time to follow COVID prevention strategies such as wearing a mask in crowded spaces and washing your hands well.<\/p>\n

Jenn Dowd, a professor of demography and population health at the University of Oxford in England, referenced Weiland\u2019s prediction model in her Substack newsletter, Data for <\/a>Health, <\/a>along with recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that shows<\/a> COVID infections rising in all but five states. \u201cSince the data are lagging by a week, it\u2019s likely levels are already higher, with a predicted peak in early September<\/a>, just in time for back-to-school,\u201d Dowd wrote in her newsletter.<\/p>\n

This prediction should be taken with a grain of salt, though, experts say. COVID has proven to be anything but predictable over the last five-plus years.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing to know is that a September peak is a best guess based on current trends, but we can\u2019t know for sure how big or long-lasting the current upswing in cases will be until we are on the other side of it,\u201d Dowd told HuffPost via email.<\/p>\n

COVID levels are lower than last summer, thankfully, according to wastewater data and hospitalization levels, \u201cbut, back-to-school could pour fuel on the fire of any viral spread, so we\u2019ll get a better picture in the next few weeks,\u201d Dowd added.<\/p>\n

The models that are used to predict COVID peaks are an imperfect tool, but still contain valuable information, added Jessica Malaty Rivera<\/a>, an infectious disease epidemiologist.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we look at the past, we\u2019ve always had a summer wave [and] we\u2019ve always also had a back-to-school flu season wave. So it\u2019s no surprise that they\u2019re cross-referencing both the historical incidence of COVID and what we\u2019re seeing in wastewater to say it\u2019s pretty likely that this many people probably have COVID right now, or may likely get COVID right now, because this many people are shedding the virus,\u201d added Malaty Rivera.<\/p>\n

But, Malaty Rivera said that wastewater data is only accurate to a certain extent.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t always say that the presence of virus [in wastewater] is infectious virus,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

Wastewater data can\u2019t distinguish between active virus and non-infectious virus fragments from someone who was infected months ago, Malaty Rivera explained. (Just like how, early in the COVID pandemic, PCR tests could come back positive for months<\/a> after someone recovered from a COVID-19 infection, she noted).<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd so the presence of COVID-19 [in wastewater] is not necessarily the presence of active virus. It could be a virus from people who were sick weeks ago or months ago who are still shedding virus, but it\u2019s not an infectious virus,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

That being said, we are in a COVID surge right now and we should expect another bump as kids head back to school in September and as folks return from summer vacations, said Malaty Rivera.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fall, back to school, return from vacation, has always historically shown an uptick in respiratory illnesses, and COVID is not exclusive to that. COVID is now part of our annual cadence,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd so the summer surge is no surprise, and to expect another bump is also completely based on evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"We're<\/p>\n

KATERYNA KON\/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images<\/p>\n

We’re currently in a summer COVID wave, and some experts say COVID infections could peak in early September.<\/p>\n

If you do get sick during the summer COVID wave, here\u2019s what you should do:<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you get infected with COVID, the CDC\u2019s recommendations say<\/a> you should stay home when you\u2019re sick and isolate from other people in your home. The CDC guidance goes on to say you can exit isolation once you\u2019re fever-free and your symptoms are improving or resolving for at least 24 hours.<\/p>\n

At this point, you can return to your daily life, but should take additional steps to protect others, such as wearing a mask, staying away from other people, and washing your hands frequently for five extra days.<\/p>\n

Malaty Rivera said you should take this one step further because \u201cresolving symptoms\u201d is completely subjective, she noted. What\u2019s \u201cresolving\u201d for one person could mean being very sick for another.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd no fever… fever is not the only indicator… for infectiousness to others,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

\u201cBased on the evidence, if you are testing positive on a rapid antigen test, that means that you are likely infectious to others. If you are infectious to others, that means you should be isolating from other people and wearing a mask in indoor settings if you\u2019re forced to be in indoor settings with other people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

If you need fresh air, it\u2019s OK to go outside without a mask, but you shouldn\u2019t be close to other people, said Malaty Rivera.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think people should be unmasked in places with other people unless they are testing negative on an antigen test,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

If you are sick, you can also check with your doctor to see if you\u2019re eligible for Paxlovid, which is an anti-viral COVID medication, Malaty Rivera said.<\/p>\n

There are things you can do to prevent a COVID infection, too.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you didn\u2019t get an updated COVID vaccine in the past year, it might be a good time to get one, especially before any changes in eligibility come into effect,\u201d said Dowd.<\/p>\n

If you are over 65 or immunocompromised, you\u2019re eligible for another COVID shot, she added, so long as you\u2019re six months out from your last dose<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, besides protection from vaccines, when there is more COVID around, it\u2019s a good time to ramp up our trusty precautions that work for most respiratory viruses,\u201d Dowd said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis includes paying attention to ventilation when socializing (such as being outside or opening doors and windows [and] using HEPA filters), staying home when sick and masking strategically in higher-risk situations like airplane travel or other crowded places,\u201d noted Dowd.<\/p>\n

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We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.<\/p>\n

Thank you again for your support along the way. We\u2019re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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While COVID levels are lower than previous summer waves, it is still a serious infection that can lead to death, complications and long COVID.<\/p>\n

Do what you can to stay safe this summer, but \u201cwith COVID prevention, don\u2019t let the perfect be the enemy of the good,\u201d Dowd said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to do everything right, but even small precautions can add up to lower transmission and protect our communities,\u201d she noted.<\/p>\n