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COVID-19 is on the uptick in the United States and McHenry County.
COVID test positivity nationwide was 12.6%, according to CDC data for the week of July 13, the latest available. Based on emergency department visits for COVID, the illness is increasing in the county as of late, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges people to get recommended vaccines for respiratory illnesses.
RSV and flu, also being tracked, have “no change” in the county, according to the CDC data. COVID-19 emergency room visits are 1.3% of the total emergency room visits for the week ending July 13, according to the CDC. That number climbed to above 1% the week of July 6, but had been below 1% since March.
“We generally see an increase in cases of COVID-19 during the later part of the summer that stabilizes in early fall,” Susan Karras, the McHenry County Department of Health Director of Clinical Health said in an email to the Northwest Herald, but noted this wave is earlier than prior years. “Though COVID-19 has begun to increase, hospitalizations remain low, indicating a low level of impact to the public at this time. We are monitoring this data closely to see if it will continually increase over our benchmark or start to decline. If the data were to rise to a concerning level, we would release information to the public at that time.”
Wastewater sites in Woodstock and Crystal Lake are indicating higher levels of COVID in the county as well, according to the Illinois Wastewater Surveillance System. One of the two Woodstock plants in the system is showing a small increase in COVID as of July 17 data, while the other has not, as of July 11 data. Crystal Lake data is showing an increase in COVID in the wastewater to levels not seen since early this year, but the data was last collected July 11, according to the wastewater surveillance system page.
As COVID has surged across the country and county, President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID earlier this week. Biden was seen not wearing a mask after it was announced he had COVID. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines currently encourage people to wear a mask if they’re sick, but masks aren’t required. Those who are sick are urged to stay home and away from other people, according to the Associated Press.
More information about staying up to date with vaccines can be found at cdc.gov/covid/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html#cdc_vaccine_recommendations_section_2-when-are-you-up-to-date.