COVID cases rising in US; poll shows people eligible for booster are uninterested in another shot
Even as the number of COVID-19 cases is steadily rising in the U.S., many people who are eligible for a vaccine booster say they are not interested in getting another shot, according to a newly released poll.
Meanwhile, new studies find the effectiveness of booster shots are holding up even after two different omicron subvariants.
On average, the U.S. is reporting more than 68,000 new cases every day, which is up by 52% in the last two weeks. In the last month, the nation's daily case average has more than doubled.
"This virus continues to evolve and we may see a pretty sizable wave of infections, hospitalizations and deaths this fall and winter," said Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House's coronavirus response coordinator.
The uptake of both COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses appears to have leveled off.
A new Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that a majority of vaccinated people who have not gotten a booster shot say they don't plan on getting one or will only get one if required. A little over half say they feel they have sufficient protection.
Here's why some people still get COVID even after being vaccinated and double-boosted
The poll comes as three new studies demonstrate that three doses of COVID-19 vaccines protect against omicron and two of its subvariants.
One study found people who received the original two-dose series plus a booster enjoyed more than 80% protection against serious disease and a 47% lower risk of omicron infection.
And Cleveland Clinic researchers found many people who have recovered from COVID-19 are still dealing with long-term complications. The most common issue is difficulties with sleep.
"What we are finding is that they complain of insomnia, fatigue and also brain fog. A lot of them complain about these and also we sometimes see circadian rhythm disorders," said Dr. Cinthya Pena of the Cleveland Clinic. Pena said this occurs when a person's internal clock is out of sync with their environment.
Researchers don't know why some COVID-19 long-haulers experience sleep-related issues, but the good news is that they're treatable. Many of the sleep related problems include insomnia, daytime sleepiness and difficulty waking up.
Pena recommended that if you're experiencing any of those symptoms, talk to your doctor because physicians treat long COVID on a symptom-by-symptom basis.
