ST. LOUIS — If you have had COVID-19recently or know someone who has, you are not alone.
"We are definitely seeing a bump. The bump is being seen nationally as well as locally," BJC HealthCare Chief Quality Officer Dr. Hilary Babcock said. "We can see that in our wastewater surveillance. A lot of employers are reporting that. Anecdotally, we can all hear that from our friends and family as well. So definitely, definitely in the summer surge."
Babcock said the summer COVID surge is nothing new: "There has been a summer surge with COVID every year since the pandemic started. So not too surprising, but that's definitely happening now."
Locally owned pharmacies like Ladue Pharmacy and national brands like Walgreens and CVS are waiting for the updated COVID booster vaccine.
"It is on pre-order at many places including here at Ladue Pharmacy," pharmacist Angie Kloeppel said. "We expect it to come in sometime hopefully in September, but we aren't 100% sure."
For most people, Babcock said it makes sense to wait for the new vaccine. She said a few individuals should consult with their doctor, including "people who have a lot of underlying medical conditions, who are immuno-compromised. It might make sense to chat with your doctor about whether you should get vaccinated now, because there is a surge going on."
Babcock urged pregnant women to consider the vaccine as well and talk to their physician.
Danial Hoft M.D., Ph.D., director of the Saint Louis University Center for Vaccine Development, agrees with Babcock.
"In addition, the vaccine recommendations for this fall have not been finalized yet," Hoft said. "We expect to hear in September what vaccines with what variant spikes will be available.
"In the meantime, people at higher risks and who have not been given a booster for greater than 4 months should think about getting vaccinated now. Others may prefer to wait until September when we hope to know more about the vaccines that will be available which may match the variants circulating better than the currently available vaccines."