Got the sniffles? Here’s what to know about summer colds, COVID-19 and more

FILE - A pharmacist holds a Pfizer and BioNTech COVID- vaccine shot on Thursday April in Portland Ore AP Photo Jenny Kane File AP Jenny Kane FILE - A pharmacist holds a Pfizer and BioNTech COVID- vaccine shot on Thursday April in Portland Ore AP Photo Jenny Kane File AP Jenny Kane Summer heat outdoor fun and cold and flu manifestations The three may not go together in several people s minds partly owing to common myths about germs and partly because a multitude of viruses really do have lower activity levels in the summer But it is workable to get the sniffles or worse in the summer Federal records published Friday for example shows COVID- is trending up in countless parts of the country with urgency department visits up among people of all ages Here s what to know about summer viruses How much are colds and flu circulating right now The number of people seeking clinical care for three key illnesses COVID- flu and respiratory syncytial virus or RSV is presently low according to facts from the Centers for Affection Control and Prevention Flu is trending down and RSV was steady this week But COVID- is trending up in multiple mid-Atlantic southeast Southern and West Coast states The expectation is that COVID- will eventually settle into a winter seasonal pattern like other coronaviruses but the past limited years have brought a late summer surge announced Dr Dean Blumberg chief of pediatric infectious diseases at University of California Davis Children s Hospital Other viruses circulating this time of year include the one that causes hand foot and mouth complaint which has manifestations similar to a cold plus sores and rashes and norovirus sometimes called the stomach flu Do viruses spread less in the summer Various 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 behavior 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 for the air conditioning 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 I grew up on the East Coast and everybody gets sick in the winter declared Dr Frank LoVecchio an crisis room expert and Arizona State University researcher A lot of people get sick in the summer here Why is that Because you spend more time indoors Should you get another COVID- booster now For people who are otherwise healthy timing is a key consideration to getting any vaccine You want to get it a sparse weeks before that big trip or wedding if that s the reason for getting boosted doctors say But for bulk people it may be worth waiting until the fall in anticipation of winter cases of COVID- really tick up You want to be fully protected at the time that it s largest part key for you reported Dr Costi Sifri of the University of Virginia Wellbeing System People at higher vulnerability of complications should inevitably talk with their medical professional about what is best for them Sifri added Older adults and those with weak immune systems may need more boosters than others he revealed Are more younger kids getting sick with COVID- Last week the CDC noted urgency room visits among children younger than were rising That makes sense Blumberg stated because plenty of young kids are getting it for the first time or are unvaccinated Fitness Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr disclosed in May that the shots would no longer be recommended for healthy kids a decision that wellness experts have declared lacks scientific basis The American Academy of Pediatrics still endorses COVID- shots for children older than months How else can I lower my liability The same things that help prevent colds flu and COVID 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 The Associated Press Medical and Science Department receives endorsement from the Howard Hughes Clinical Institute s Department of Science Development and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The AP is solely responsible for all content Source