SAVANNAH, Ga. () – spoke to a doctor from Memorial Health who said the slight uptick in COVID-19 numbers is due to the start of school and the hot weather that has forced more people to stay inside. 

“We definitely see two extremes of aged people in the seventies and eighties and then young children,” Internal Medicine Physician Timothy Connelly said.

He also said it was expected. Connelly said COVID cases are much lower than this time last year, dropping from around 3,000 in 2024 to about 1,000 this year.

He told that right now, 10 people are hospitalized with the virus.

“With that new stratus strain of COVID, people get very, very sore throat,” Connelly said. “They say it’s like swallowing razor blades.

He added, “we do have a few people that are still having respiratory COVID.”

Connelly told most severe cases are among people who were never vaccinated, but adds treatments today are far more effective that when covid was at its height.

“It is probably going to start going down from here, especially with the weather being nice, more people going outside, people aren’t getting close together to share that air conditioning anymore as the temperatures are going down,” he said. “So, for the time being, we don’t expect a huge rise in covid, although that can happen.”

 Connelly said when it comes to preventing COVID, the basics still work.

“Good handwashing is important,” he said. “We know that masking is only marginally effective at reducing the spread. I tell people, if you’re sick and you have to go somewhere as a courtesy to other people, those individuals, we should you know, I tell them, put on a mask if you’re going out.”

Doctors are also warning that fewer people getting flu shots may also lead to a tougher flu season.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved updated COVID vaccines for the upcoming fall and winter seasons but is restricting their use. If you are not a senior, you won’t be able to get them unless you have an underlying health problem.