Why COVID keeps roaring back every summer, even as pandemic fades from public view
The summer season continues to see spikes in COVID-19 activity. The latest jump is being fueled by the subvariant XFG, nicknamed 'Stratus.'
The rate at which COVID tests in California came back positive was 11.59% for the week ending Aug. 16. That’s up from a positive test rate of 5.69% for the week ending July 19, according to the California Department of Public Health.
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COVID-19 is also increasingly a reason why people are seeking urgent medical care. For the week ending Aug. 17, COVID diagnosis was the reason why 4.04% of children in California up to age 11 were in the emergency room — up from 1.02% during the last week in June.