Here we go. It must be election season!
CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen issued a new alert for the COVID “Pirola” variant and recommended for those who are feeling symptoms to mask up.
“Respiratory viruses commonly cause illness such as flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), especially in the fall and winter. There are actions you can take to protect yourself and others. Learn about how to reduce your risk of getting sick from these viruses, and if they are spreading in your community,” the CDC stated.
The CDC issued an updated COVID alert on Friday.
JN.1, a variant of the virus that causes COVID-19, is a closely related offshoot of the variant BA.2.86 that CDC has been tracking since August. JN.1 is currently projected to comprise 15-29% of circulating variants and continues to grow quickly compared with other variants. Its continued growth suggests that it is either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems. At this time, there is no evidence that JN.1 presents an increased risk to public health relative to other currently circulating variants, and CDC is closely monitoring COVID-19 activity and JN.1 spread. The increase of this variant does not alter CDC’s COVID-19 recommendations, meaning that vaccines, tests, and treatments continue to work well against JN.1.
CDC Director Cohen said flu and RSV are cases are up.
“And Covid is starting to increase again after being stable for the past few weeks. We are also seeing increases in pneumonia cases which can increase this time of year,” Cohen said.
She continued, “To protect yourself this holiday season, take the steps that we do every year to protect ourselves. Get your updated Covid and flu vaccines and your RSV vaccine if you’re over 60.”
Mandy Cohen advised people to wear masks.
“And use additional layers of protection like avoiding people who are sick. Washing your hands, improving ventilation, and wearing a mask,” she said.
WATCH:
Virus season is here! Hear the latest. https://t.co/4jNWBWWzzl pic.twitter.com/RkMVttAygw
— Mandy K. Cohen, MD, MPH (@CDCDirector) December 6, 2023
