STATEWIDE--Covid 19 is still around. In fact, a new Covid strain is affecting Mainers and others across the country.
Doctor James Jarvis with Northern Light EMMC says the new strains known as KP.2 and KP.3 trace back to the Omicron variant and is covered by the current vaccines available to the public.
Symptoms include fever, chills and cold and flu-like symptoms.
Dr. Jarvis says testing is important to pinpoint whether it is indeed Covid or another respiratory illness.
"Anecdotally we are definitely seeing more people out in the community with Covid," said Jarvis. "We have seen some rise in hospitalizations in Maine either due to Covid or people who are admitted for other reasons and have Covid symptoms and test positive. But those numbers are still relatively small from the days when we were seeing hospitalizations in the 70, 80 over 100 at a time. We are definitely not seeing those numbers."
Doctors recommend that those who do test positive for Covid should isolate for five days and wear a mask in public for 10 days after testing positive.