What to know about summer colds and the COVID variant called stratus
The three may not go together in many people's minds, partly owing to common myths about germs and partly because many viruses really do have lower activity levels in the summer.
But it is possible to get the sniffles – or worse – in the summer.
Here's what to know about summer viruses.
How much are colds and flu circulating right now?
The number of people seeking medical care for two common illnesses – flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) – is currently low, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
COVID-19 is trending up in several European countries, after a winter with limited circulation. Notably, though, COVID-19 hospitalisations and deaths are lower than a year ago.
ECDC data also shows the XFG variant – nicknamed stratus – is most common in the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
Stratus can cause a 'razor blade' sore throat and is considered a 'variant under monitoring' by the ECDC and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO said the variant is only marginally better at evading people's immune systems and vaccines still work against it.
The expectation is that COVID-19 will eventually settle into a winter seasonal pattern like other coronaviruses, but the past few years have brought a late summer surge, said Dr Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at University of California Davis Children's Hospital in the US.
Do viruses spread less in the summer?
Many viruses circulate seasonally, picking up as the weather cools in the fall and winter. So it's true that fewer people get stuffy noses and coughs in the summer – but cold weather itself does not cause colds.
It's not just about seasonality. The other factor is our behaviour, experts say. Nice weather means people are opening windows and gathering outside where it's harder for germs to spread.
But respiratory viruses are still around. When the weather gets too hot and everyone heads inside, doctors say they start seeing more sickness.
In places where it gets really hot for a long time, summer can be cold season in its own right.
With stratus spreading, should you get another COVID-19 booster?
For people who are otherwise healthy, timing is a key consideration to getting any vaccine. You want to get it a few weeks before that big trip or wedding, if that's the reason for getting boosted, doctors say.
But, for most people, it may be worth waiting until the fall in anticipation of winter cases of COVID-19 really ticking up.
'You want to be fully protected at the time that it's most important for you,' said Dr Costi Sifri, of the University of Virginia Health System in the US.
People at higher risk of complications should always talk with their doctor about what is best for them, Sifri added. Older adults and those with weak immune systems may need more boosters than others, he said.
How else can I lower my risk?
The same things that help prevent colds, flu, and COVID-19 any other time of the year work in the summer, doctors say.
Spend time outside when you can, wash your hands, wear a mask. And if you're sick, stay home.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
a day ago
- Euronews
Rich countries pay more for medicines, but cost burden is far lower
Wealthy countries may pay steep prices for medicines, but once their purchasing power is factored in, they actually benefit from some of the lowest costs in the world, a new study has found. The analysis of 549 essential medicines across 72 markets worldwide reveals major disparities in affordability between wealthier and poorer countries – even though rich countries often pay higher list prices. While poorer nations often have lower list prices, people in those countries tend to shoulder a far greater financial burden, according to the study, which was published in the journal JAMA Health Forum. In parts of Africa and Southeast Asia, critical medicines can cost the lowest-income earners several weeks' worth of wages if they have to pay out of pocket. The 549 drugs included in the study were sourced from the World Health Organization's (WHO) essential medicines list, which tallies the most important medicines for health systems to function. They include everything from over-the-counter painkillers to antibiotics, anaesthetics, and mental health drugs. No country stocked every drug, with availability ranging from 438 medicines in Germany to 225 in Kuwait. Across the 33 European countries included in the study, the average was 367 medicines. The study found that treatments for mental and behavioural disorders and cardiovascular disease tended to be the most expensive, while drugs for hepatitis B and C were generally the cheapest. European countries spent the most on essential medicines – $2 billion (€1.74 billion) overall and $192 (€167) per capita. At the other end of the spectrum, the Americas spent $1 billion (€868 million) overall and Southeast Asia spent $7 (€6) per capita in 2022. However, a medicine's list price – the sticker price set by a drugmaker before any discounts, subsidies, or insurance are taken into account – can be misleading. Cost of living and the government's role in setting drug prices vary around the world. To better reflect affordability, researchers used Germany as a benchmark and adjusted prices for local purchasing power. They found that medicine prices in Lebanon were roughly one-fifth of German prices, while in Argentina, prices were nearly six times as high as in Germany. In Pakistan, for example, drug prices may be lower on paper, but once purchasing power is factored in, they're about the same as in Germany. And in the United States, prices reached three times the German level. Meanwhile in India, minimum-wage earners would need about 10 days of work to afford a monthlong dose of tenofovir disoproxil, which treats chronic hepatitis B and helps prevent and treat HIV/AIDS. For the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel, minimum-wage labourers in lower-income countries would need to work for nearly six weeks to pay for a monthlong course of the treatment. 'Some poorer countries face a higher burden of medication costs, even if the price for the same medicine is lower compared to richer countries,' the researchers said.
LeMonde
2 days ago
- LeMonde
The Greek public healthcare system remains in shambles
In 2011, Giorgos Vichas, a cardiologist, opened a community clinic with six colleagues in Ellinikon, a southern suburb of Athens, to meet the needs of thousands of long-term unemployed people who, lacking health insurance, were no longer admitted free of charge to public hospitals. In 2015, when the left-wing Syriza government passed legislation allowing uninsured people back into public hospitals, the Ellinikon clinic became less essential. But public facilities quickly ran into trouble. "For the long-term unemployed, that reform was progress. But the problem is that the funding provided by the government to cover the care for these additional patients is not enough. As a result, hospitals are in debt and lack everything...," the cardiologist pointed out. So much so that, even after 2015, regular patients continued to visit the Ellinikon clinic because "they still felt stigmatized at public hospitals, they still didn't have access to certain medications that were too expensive, and waiting times for care were still long," Vichas recalled. But the community clinic did not last. It had to close in March 2020, at the start of the Covid-19 crisis, to make way for a luxury development with skyscrapers, residences, a shopping center, hotels and even a casino.
Euronews
3 days ago
- Euronews
What to know about summer colds and the COVID variant called stratus
Summer heat, outdoor fun ... and cold and flu symptoms? The three may not go together in many people's minds, partly owing to common myths about germs and partly because many viruses really do have lower activity levels in the summer. But it is possible to get the sniffles – or worse – in the summer. Here's what to know about summer viruses. How much are colds and flu circulating right now? The number of people seeking medical care for two common illnesses – flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) – is currently low, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). COVID-19 is trending up in several European countries, after a winter with limited circulation. Notably, though, COVID-19 hospitalisations and deaths are lower than a year ago. ECDC data also shows the XFG variant – nicknamed stratus – is most common in the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. Stratus can cause a 'razor blade' sore throat and is considered a 'variant under monitoring' by the ECDC and the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO said the variant is only marginally better at evading people's immune systems and vaccines still work against it. The expectation is that COVID-19 will eventually settle into a winter seasonal pattern like other coronaviruses, but the past few years have brought a late summer surge, said Dr Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at University of California Davis Children's Hospital in the US. Do viruses spread less in the summer? Many viruses circulate seasonally, picking up as the weather cools in the fall and winter. So it's true that fewer people get stuffy noses and coughs in the summer – but cold weather itself does not cause colds. It's not just about seasonality. The other factor is our behaviour, experts say. Nice weather means people are opening windows and gathering outside where it's harder for germs to spread. But respiratory viruses are still around. When the weather gets too hot and everyone heads inside, doctors say they start seeing more sickness. In places where it gets really hot for a long time, summer can be cold season in its own right. With stratus spreading, should you get another COVID-19 booster? For people who are otherwise healthy, timing is a key consideration to getting any vaccine. You want to get it a few weeks before that big trip or wedding, if that's the reason for getting boosted, doctors say. But, for most people, it may be worth waiting until the fall in anticipation of winter cases of COVID-19 really ticking up. 'You want to be fully protected at the time that it's most important for you,' said Dr Costi Sifri, of the University of Virginia Health System in the US. People at higher risk of complications should always talk with their doctor about what is best for them, Sifri added. Older adults and those with weak immune systems may need more boosters than others, he said. How else can I lower my risk? The same things that help prevent colds, flu, and COVID-19 any other time of the year work in the summer, doctors say. Spend time outside when you can, wash your hands, wear a mask. And if you're sick, stay home.
