TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — With COVID-19 cases within the Tampa Bay space climbing once more, 8 On Your Side regarded into what’s driving the spike and whether or not the previous remedies nonetheless work.
You may really feel like extra folks round you might be getting coronavirus. It’s not in your head.
Data from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals an uptick. Experts say new sub-variants of Omicron are spreading across the state. Most of these within the Tampa Bay space are in a neighborhood with ranges of COVID-19.
All, however these in Hardee and Manatee counties.
“Have you noticed more coronavirus cases?” requested 8OYS investigator Mahsa Saeidi.
“Recently, yes,” Florencia Real mentioned. “I have two close friends who just tested positive yesterday. We’ve had so many variants at this point you don’t even know what to expect.”
Other Tampa Bay residents even have questions concerning the new variants.
“My number one concern is if the death rate is going to be as high as the original variant,” Alexandria Bishop mentioned.
Last fall, Omicron emerged, taking up Delta. It brought on much less extreme sickness but it surely was extra contagious than ever earlier than.
By 2022, a new subvariant referred to as Omicron BA.2 took over the United States.
Now, the most recent CDC knowledge reveals extra variants, BA.4 and BA.5, are popping up within the southeast.
Together, the 2 new strains make up greater than 20 % of infections.
“We’re seeing milder illnesses but more illnesses in more healthy people,” Moffitt’s Dr. John Greene mentioned.
Dr. Greene mentioned the most recent subvariants look like extra transmissible.
Still, the variety of sufferers being admitted to space hospitals stay low.
“However, we are seeing a lot more outpatients who are showing up positive,” Dr. Greene mentioned. “A test that diagnosed COVID are still able to pick up all the variants and subvariants. The treatment we’re giving still works, although maybe not as effective.”
This isn’t a shock. There will proceed to be new variants.
Scientists mentioned as extra folks construct immunity, it decreases the chance for the virus to spread and mutate.
The CDC’s web site contains the latest guidance on boosters.