Eris sparking recent uptick in COVID-19 cases
By Alison Adduono, Director of Marketing Communication
A few weeks ago, we saw signs that a summertime wave of COVID-19 was starting to usher in. Now according to the latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nationwide there has been a 12% increase in COVID-19-related hospitalizations over the past two weeks and in over a dozen states hospitalizations have increased by more than 20%. New Hampshire has seen the biggest jump at 96%¹.
Curious where your state ranks in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations? Check out these interactive CDC maps by state² and county³.
In the cases circulating, Omicron continues to be the dominant strain at 99.9%¹ and its latest sub-variant, EG.5 (nicknamed Eris) is responsible for driving this year’s first uptick in cases (accounting for 1 in 5 infections). According to experts, Eris has a ‘slightly beneficial mutation’ making it one of the fastest growing variants across the world.⁴
In a recent interview with The Hill, Jill Rosenthal, Director of Public Health Policy at the Center for American Progress, stated “We have had a summer wave of COVID for the last few summers, and so it’s not surprising to see an increase in COVID right now.”¹
It's noteworthy that retail pharmacies, such as CVS Pharmacy, are already seeing a marginal uptick in the demand for testing and the purchase of over-the-counter tests.⁵ The question that arises is, could a surge in other point-of-care testing be imminent?
With the proliferation of At-Home tests and the cessation of state reporting requirements, the true extent of COVID-19 is somewhat unknown. At present, the CDC is relying upon hospitalization and ER visit figures as well as wastewater surveillance data to gauge the situation.
Photo Credit: iStock by Getty Images
Why use wastewater surveillance?
The National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) screens, compiles and reports its data to the CDC. While its high-resolution sequencing can identify emerging variants of concern, which is key, it is limited in its scope as it relies on public wastewater treatment works. Approximately 14% of the US population live in rural areas, small counties, or in areas using individual septic systems that are not part of a public wastewater system.⁶ This means that their data is not captured by this method of surveillance. All in all, with an end of state reporting, this is the next best option.
Many experts predict that a fall/winter COVID-19 median wave is still ahead of us with the return of the traditional respiratory season (between November and mid-January).⁷ In fact some feel a significant wave can be expected. Several projections indicate COVID-19 could be worse than a really bad flu season this year and next, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths.⁸
With that said, point of care facilities should already be looking at stocking up for the recent increase in demand while also gearing up for the upcoming respiratory season. Over the past year several manufacturers (such as Thermo Fisher and their Accula™ product line) have either reduced or ceased producing their tests. Now is the time to identify and stock replacements. The AscencioDx® Molecular Detector, which is proudly manufactured in the USA, is the perfect solution. Initially offering an FDA EUA assay for COVID-19, the AscencioDx is an expandable platform utilizing multiplex technology and providing positive results in as little as 20 minutes.
To learn more about our detector, visit our website (www.anavasidx.com) or contact our sales department at sales@anavasidx.com.
The AscencioDx®…. Where Speed, Efficiency, and Accuracy Align.
Resources:
1) COVID hospitalizations jump again: Maps show where it’s worst | The Hill
2) CDC COVID Data Tracker: Maps by Geographic Area-State
3) CDC COVID Data Tracker: Maps by Geographic Area-County
4) 'Eris', new COVID strain sweeps through US, UK - Vanguard News (vanguardngr.com)
5) What the new Covid-19 surge really means - POLITICO
7) Home - COVID 19 scenario model hub (covid19scenariomodelinghub.org)
8) CDC says summer COVID wave may have begun : Shots - Health News : NPR
Where Speed, Efficiency, & Accuracy Align
The AscencioDx® Covid-19 Test and The AscencioDx® Molecular Detector have not been FDA cleared or approved, but have been authorized for emergency use by FDA under an EUA for use by authorized laboratories. This product has been authorized only for the detection of nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogens. The emergency use of this product is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of in vitro diagnostics for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 under Section 564(b)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the declaration is terminated or authorization is revoked sooner.
