COVID-19 is no longer classified as a pandemic, but that doesn't mean it has gone away. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told NPR late last week that data show cases started to tick up again at the beginning of July.
Ken, who asked that his last name not be used, told KSMU he tested positive for COVID-19 for the first time this month after attending a birthday party for his grandson. The 75-year-old from Forsyth said the party was held at a crowded entertainment venue in Springfield.
"I was bedridden for a week, lost all kinds of weight," he said, "and, you know, it's probably the two times I've been sick in my life. I had a fever. I was out of it, you know, I could barely take care of myself."
He said his grandson and granddaughter also tested positive. His daughter reached out to the more than two dozen people who attended the party, and several of them told her they had also tested positive for COVID-19.
Kendra Findley, epidemiologist with the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, said the level of disease in the community appears to be fairly low. She acknowledged they don't know exactly how many cases are out there because most people these days test at home.
She said COVID-19 is endemic now, and we must learn to live with it.
"Emergency orders are over, so there's those measures that were instituted to help control spread are now gone as well as that authority to do so," she said. "And, so, we just remind people that it is just going to slowly circulate within the community, and they can protect themselves by ensuring that their vaccines are up to date."
Check with your healthcare provider to see if you need a booster, she said. If you're sick, stay home. Wash your hands often, and keep a safe distance from anyone who appears to have a respiratory illness. If you're at high risk for complications of COVID-19 and are concerned, wear a mask in crowded spaces.
Ken wants everyone to know the virus is still out there, and it can still cause severe illness.
"You know, everybody thinks it's safe to do anything," he said, "and, you know, it is not. It is not. I thought it was myself."
He said he's back to staying home and masking when he has to go out so he can avoid getting COVID-19 again.
