CDC: COVID infections likely rising in 48 states as back-to-school season begins
Fri, August 28, 2026 at 7:49 PM
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Experts say a surge normal during this time, stressing the importance of prevention as students head back to school.
COLUMBIA —With school back in session, COVID cases are steadily increasing
The CDC says COVID-19 infections are likely rising in 48 states
It’s called the summer surge
Experts say it’s normal during this time, stressing the importance of prevention as students head back to school
“That proximity plays a huge part. COVID spreads very easily when people are in enclosed spaces, so we see children, college students, anyone that’s sharing a workspace. Really, that threat could be elevated,” said Boone County Health Department‘s Public Information Specialist Austin Krohn
Krohn said state numbers aren’t accessible at this time, but nationwide trends indicate COVID-19 cases are rising
Brian Allen is a pediatric immunization and infectious disease specialist at MU Health Care
He noted that yearly trends indicate numbers can be much higher
“This is probably underreported, but at least looking at this year’s data, everything so far seems to be under 5%,” Allen said
While 5% doesn’t seem high, that surge is approaching the percentage of positive cases at COVID’s peak last winter
Allen said these numbers hardly differ from figures we’ve seen in the past, but stresses the need for prevention
He encourages vaccinations for students because he says COVID at times can be undetectable in young people
The severity has diminished in recent years, but the disease can still have a major impact on vulnerable individuals
“Unvaccinated Children, children who have underlying medical conditions that weaken their immune system, are more likely to, if they were to get this infection, have a more severe outcome, have potentially worse outcomes leading to hospitalization, and other worse issues. So it’s important to be mindful of who the child is,” Allen said
Additionally, theFDA recently approved a new vaccinetailored to people 65 years and older, and children with underlying health conditions that make severe illness from COVID-19 more of a risk
The Boone County Health and Human Services Department also noted they will receive shipments of vaccines in late September to make prevention as accessible as possible
