The summer wave of COVID-19 is here, with 26 states and Washington D.C. experiencing growing or likely growing cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Emergency room visits from young kids have reached their highest level since March.
Dr. Jon LaPook, CBS News chief medical correspondent, notes that summer spikes are typical and the number of deaths and hospitalizations gradually decrease each season. However, he warns vulnerable populations, such as very young children under 4 and the elderly, can be severely affected.
The latest COVID variants, Nimbus and Stratus, have not shown more severe illness compared to previous variants. The vaccines made for this season do cover these current variants, providing good news. LaPook advises people to be cautious despite the summer surge.
There is some variation in vaccine recommendations, with the CDC suggesting shared clinical decision-making for healthy children’s COVID-19 vaccination and pregnant individuals getting vaccinated. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. emphasizes that it’s now a shared decision between patients and clinicians.
COVID-19 cases are growing in these states: Arkansas, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia. Cases are likely growing in Alaska, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-19-cases-rise-summer-2025-cdc-data