COVID-19 summer surges have occurred throughout the nation and in Louisiana. It’s a public health concern, but can be mitigated by taking appropriate precautions as much as possible.

Dr. Lacey Cavanaugh, regional medical director for the Office of Public Health said “an increase in activity at this time of the year for COVID-19 is not unexpected.” There are several contributing reasons for these summer surges, she said.

The number of COVID cases that are present year-round is much higher than flu or RSV. With that higher baseline, when conditions make transmission easier, like spending more time indoors and exposure to more people during travel, which is common during summer months, there are more cases to fuel a wave of infections.

Updated data on the Louisiana Department of Health website shows that 512 adults and 4 children have died from COVID-19.

People with diabetes can be at increased risk for a severe health outcome from COVID-19.

“You should contact your healthcare provider about increased risk factors and consider taking additional precautions,” Cavenaugh said.

The LDH State Health Officer recommends staying on top of COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. Boosters have been updated to offer protection against the original strain, while also offering new protection against lineages of the Omicron variant, BA,4 and BA.5.

Home testing kits are available, and for people with insurance coverage, including Medicaid and Medicare, up to 8 tests per month are available free of charge.