08/31/2026
COVID is having a late-summer moment, again. Late summer is a favorite time for COVID-19. As summer winds down, COVID activity picks up, and this year is no exception. Cases are climbing in 47 states right now. There are a few reasons for this. Vacations are wrapping up, kids are heading back to school, and employees are returning to the office and spending more time together indoors. In short, COVID-19 likes people, and we've have millions of them.
The good news is this year's strain is bringing less severe symptoms and lower hospitalization rates than earlier waves. The bad news is it's still plenty contagious, and current symptoms overlap so much with a summer cold that testing is really the only way to know what you're dealing with.
A few things worth passing along to your teams as the season turns: CDC guidance no longer requires a fixed isolation period. The standard is staying home until symptoms have been improved and you've been fever-free for 24 hours without medication.
For employees over 60, or with a condition that raises their risk of severe COVID, timing matters more than severity. Antiviral treatments can meaningfully reduce the risk of hospitalization but Paxlovid needs to start within five days of symptoms, and Remdesivir within seven, so we recommend calling Amaze, or any healthcare provider, early, even when symptoms still feel mild. Waiting until symptoms feel unbearable can mean missing the window entirely.
None of this calls for panic. With the right amount of attention, you can encourage sick employees to stay home, support testing when it could change someone's next move, and make sure at-risk staff know not to wait to ask about treatment.
We put together a full refresher on this year's strain, testing, treatment windows, and vaccine timing so you have the accurate, current guidance on hand when employees ask what to do or how long to stay out.
https://amazehealth.com/seriously-covid-you-again/