After Two Weeks of Downturn in Montana, Number of Reported COVID Cases Rises to Highest in Season

We may be done with COVID, but COVID isn't done with us. New variant on the rise.

By Denise Rivette

After two weeks of a downturn in reported COVID cases in Montana, they increased this week. On Friday, September 6, the Montana Department of Health and Human Services reported 566 COVID cases, up from the Summer’s previous high of 557 cases reported on August 16. Not all who test positive report their results to the health department.

Carbon County Public Health Department and Beartooth Billings Clinic were asked two weeks ago via email for information on how COVID is affecting Carbon County. Neither entity responded to the request.

Today, on the American Medical Association’s public health podcast, Andrea Garcia, JD, MPH, vice president of science, medicine & public health for the American Medical Association, provided some updates and insights. She stated, “…we typically see delays in data reporting after a long holiday weekend, so we're still really waiting for the data to catch up. We do know from past experience that a busy Labor Day holiday weekend can accelerate transmission following those increases in travel and then more gatherings with friends and family.

“We know that the Transportation Security Administration was projecting that this past holiday weekend would end up being the busiest Labor Day travel period on record. And according to that, while many people typically gather outside for Labor Day, in some areas we know that extreme heat drove people indoors, which could also contribute to those increases in holiday spread.”

She continued “…if you look at the CDC data by geographic area, levels were decreasing in the West, but they were increasing in the South and the Midwest and in the Northeast. We do continue to see that KP.3.1.1 variant climb. It's now making up just over 42% of cases in the U.S.

“According to the CDC's latest weekly respiratory illness summary, we do know that hospitalizations from COVID remain elevated. That's especially true for seniors and children who are younger than two years old. Deaths from COVID are also low compared to where they were in previous years, but they did increase in late August.

“I think the other thing to keep an eye on, and we know doctors and scientists are keeping an eye on this as well, is yet another subvariant, and that is Xec that could surpass KP.3.1.1 in the coming weeks. It was first detected in Germany, and while it's been detected here in the U.S., the prevalence is low and there's not a lot of data on this new subvariant at this point in time.”

COVID vaccines will be available this month. The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been updated with a formula to more closely target currently circulating variants and provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19. The CDC stated, “It is especially important to get your 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine if you are ages 65 and older, are at high risk for severe COVID-19, or have never received a COVID-19 vaccine.” The vaccine is also reported to reduce the chances of experiencing Long COVID.

While the vaccines approved for the upcoming season are targeted toward earlier variants, they are expected to be effective against KP3.1.1.

According to Yale Medicine, the clinical practice for the Yale School of Medicine, “The shots aren’t meant to prevent every SARS-CoV-2 infection; rather, the aim is to protect against severe illness, hospitalization, and death. They also restore and enhance protection from previous shots, which has declined over time.

“Avoiding serious illness continues to be a major concern, because even though COVID infections have declined dramatically since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been periods of upticks in hospitalizations. In 2023, for instance, more than 916,300 people were hospitalized in the U.S. due to COVID, and more than 75,500 people died from it. What’s more, most people who were hospitalized had not received last year’s updated shot, according to CDC data.” The flu was responsible for 5,944 deaths in the U.S. in 2022 according to the CDC.

When is the best time to get the vaccine?

According to CDC guidance, if you’ve recently had COVID, “you may consider delaying your vaccine dose by 3 months” as the infection usually boosts your natural antibodies during that time. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, peak effectiveness of vaccines against infection occurs at about 4 weeks and decreases to about 20% effectiveness after 20 weeks. Although vaccines will be available in September, many sources recommend waiting until October and getting the COVID vaccine with your flu shot, as the winter surge of infections for both coincide. Some people choose to wait if they are planning to travel for the holidays to time peak effectiveness with their travels. The CDC states it is safe to get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines, including flu and RSV vaccines, at the same time. Check with your medical professional to receive the best advice for your situation.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been tracking the prevalence of COVID in wastewater around the country. While the prevalence in Montana’s wastewater is now moderate, wastewater monitoring around the country shows that in most states the levels of COVID in wastewater remains high to very high. Below is the information reported for each state on September 5.

New COVID guidelines from the CDC align with those of other endemic respiratory viruses and advise that people who test positive stay home and stay away from others (including those in the same household). According to the CDC, after testing positive you can resume normal activities when both of the following statements have been true for at least 24 hours:

• Your symptoms are getting better overall; and

• You do not have a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication)

When returning to your normal activities, you should take added precautions over the next five days, such as masking, physical distancing and testing.

KFF Health News has produced a slide show with information including the new CDC guidelines. You can see the slideshow HERE.