As the nation moves forward post-pandemic, where does COVID fit into respiratory season and the U.S. healthcare systems response?
The pandemic changed many aspects of daily life since early 2020. The nation may have ended the COVID-19 public health emergency, but many questions still linger. As the U.S. transitions out of a state of emergency, will the nation continue to see large numbers of COVID-19 cases? And how will the contagious respiratory illness be addressed going forward?
Public health officials currently have more tools and resources than ever before developed to address pandemic illness. On May 11, 2023, the U.S. ended the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) declaration that had been in place since January 31, 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Public health systems are shifting emergency response activities into managing the disease response through existing structures and programs. The change means certain data sources and reporting metrics, such as tracking national COVID-19 case numbers, will change in frequency, source, and availability to the public. Vaccines, treatments, and testing will remain the same.
Read on about COVID-19 in relation to respiratory season, how physicians and scientists are continuing to track the virus, and how to prevent disease during the upcoming respiratory season.
Respiratory season and pandemic illness
During the fall and winter months, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza, and strep are on the rise, and COVID-19 cases have recently been on the rise in the respiratory season mix as well.
“COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations have followed a similar seasonal pattern as influenza. Cases rise throughout the fall, peaking in the winter. As spring arrives, cases decrease, reaching bottom in the summer. This pattern held true for COVID-19 cases in 2020, 2021, 2022, and again this year,” according to Mark Van Sumeren, managing director, Health Industry Advisor, LLC and General Manager, LogicSource, Inc.
COVID-19 symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, body aches, loss of taste or smell, and more, according to the CDC. The symptoms of COVID-19 and influenza, RSV, and strep are very similar, and testing is needed to confirm the exact illness and begin disease-specific treatment. During respiratory season especially, it is important for an individual to see a healthcare professional if they exhibit these symptoms so a physician can make a diagnosis and begin proper treatment.
To prevent COVID-19 infection, and an infection from other respiratory illnesses during peak season, stay away from people that are sick, and stay up to date with all vaccinations required for the flu and COVID-19. At-risk and immunocompromised individuals should continue to wear a mask and socialize outdoors (where there is more ventilation) during respiratory season if needed.
“Whether the flu or COVID-19, pay close attention to transmission rates in your area. If they are running high, elevate your preventative behavior. Limit close interaction in indoor spaces; if you experience symptoms, avoid contact with others,” said Van Sumeren. “Most importantly, both the flu and COVID-19 disproportionately impact vulnerable citizens including the elderly, immunocompromised, and those with certain chronic conditions. Protecting these people is critical to their health and to the health of the population,” said Van Sumeren.
World moves forward
The CDC continues to track national COVID-19 hospital admissions, emergency department patient visits with diagnosed COVID-19, and COVID-19 test positivity, among other statistics. Data that is no longer tracked includes COVID-19 national death data and national and county-level test positivity data (because laboratories are no longer required to report test results after May 11), according to the CDC.
Van Sumeren tracked COVID-19 data during the height of the pandemic to deliver timely and unbiased insight on disease cases. By using statistical measures to tease data, he complied information about where infections were heading in the future. This allowed healthcare leaders and physicians to act in advance and prepare properly to accommodate higher infectious cases.
“I discontinued tracking current COVID-19 cases early in 2023. With cases and hospitalizations trending downward, life had returned (mostly) to normal. As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have trended downward, the need for this type of reporting has subsided,” according to Van Sumeren. “The number of hospitalized patients is lower than at any point since the pandemic began and continues to trend downward.”
As the nation moves on from the pandemic, both health systems and public health organizations have learned a lot from the past three years and are more prepared to address the public health burden associated with COVID-19. As the world moves forward from the pandemic, the CDC’s priority is to provide the information necessary to protect the public health of the nation.
“The public is now more aware of the risks of COVID-19 and how to mitigate them. Healthcare systems are better prepared to handle surges in cases. And the data is now more reliable, thanks to the work of public health officials and researchers,” said Van Sumeren.