BOSTON – COVID numbers are rising again in Massachusetts, with the number of cases climbing at a high rate.
State wastewater data shows the rate in Massachusetts is more than twice the national average. That’s based on testing done at the end of July. National numbers are also higher than normal.
Massachusetts is among the 19 states in the CDC’s “very high” range. The rest of New England is also in that range. Emergency room visits are at their highest rates since February.
This is the most COVID activity in Massachusetts since last winter.
Why is COVID spiking again?
Dr. Mallika Marshall said the coronavirus continues to mutate in an effort to evade our immune systems, so even if you get infected, after about three months your immunity to the virus begins to fade. That said, people who have some natural immunity from prior infection and those who stay up-to-date with their boosters are much less likely to get severely ill and wind up in the hospital or worse.
Dr. Shira Doron, an infectious disease expert at Tufts doubts this uptick is tied to human behavior. “I honestly think that this is about viral evolution and the fact that new subvariants of Omicron are always emerging under the pressure of community immunity,” Dr. Doron said.