COVID Cases Are Rising Again in New Jersey

With kids back in school, illnesses are on the rise including, again, COVID cases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting an increase in COVID across 44 states, including New Jersey. Researchers are using data from the National Wastewater Surveillance System, which can detect traces of infectious diseases in wastewater that are circulating in a community, even if people don’t have symptoms. Throughout the U.S. and NJ, the level is currently “high.”

We weren’t affected by the “very high” level from the summer surge of COVID, but parents should be on the lookout for symptoms like fever, cough, difficulty breathing, headache, stomachaches, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell, congestion or runny nose, fatigue, and body aches.

Keep in mind, there are lots of other viruses circulating too, like strep and the common cold or RSV, plus allergies kick up this time of year. When in doubt, call your pediatrician. The current guidelines say you should quarantine for 5 days if you are sick, and then mask an additional 5 days when you’re out. Make sure you remind kids to cover their nose when sneezing or coughing, and wash their hands frequently.

Updated vaccines for the expected 2024-25 season were recently released. Many pharmacies and doctors will administer COVID and flu vaccines together.

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