Is it COVID or a cold? Can pills help? Time for a test? What to know about Florida surge

We’ve all been there:

You cough and sneeze a few times while waiting in line at the grocery store. The people around you not-so-subtly shift away. Some might even give you a dirty look.

This is life “post-COVID” though the pandemic isn’t really over. There are subvariants of the virus circulating across the country. And Florida is seeing a rise in cases again. And you don’t necessarily have to look at the data to notice.

Just ask Art Murphy, the chief financial officer of CMC Group, the company owned by Miami luxury condo developer Ugo Colombo.

He recently contracted COVID-19 despite being vaccinated and being boostered twice. He thinks he was exposed to the virus after attending a graduation in Colorado.

“I’m dealing with three attorneys on one thing — and all three have it,” said Murphy, 57, of Coral Gables, who runs, swims and mountain bikes.

This was Murphy’s first time testing positive. He said he had a mild head cold, no fever, nor sore throat. And he did not lose his sense of taste or smell, which often is one of the first signs of COVID-19. But he quarantined at home.

“It’s going around,’‘ he said.

IS FLORIDA SEEING A COVID SURGE AGAIN?

COVID-19 cases are going up again in Florida, with hospitalizations also ticking up, according to a Miami Herald analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Miami-Dade’s seven-day percent positivity is at 22%, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said on Wednesday. It hasn’t reached the levels seen in the winter, when omicron fueled cases clogged COVID testing lines everywhere, at least for now. In January, during the omicron’s surge, the county’s seven-day percent positivity at one point rose up to 35%.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has all four South Florida counties — Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe — under the high risk for COVID transmission category and is recommending people wear masks in indoor public spaces again.

Even with the surge in cases, infectious disease epidemiologist Dr. Mary Jo Trepka is hopeful that it won’t be like omicron’s winter surge.

However, the Florida International University professor also notes that the available data isn’t reflecting the entire story.

“It doesn’t really reflect reality. It’s sort of like the tip of the iceberg,” said Trepka. “We’re not seeing everything else going on, we’re not seeing the people who are only testing at home, we’re not seeing the people that are just deciding not to get tested anymore because they’re tired of the pandemic and we’re not seeing people who might be infectious but have extremely mild symptoms.”

So, should you wear a mask again? And if you do get sick, how should you treat it? And how exactly does quarantine work?

Here’s an FAQ guide to help you out:

SHOULD I WEAR A MASK? WHAT OTHER COVID PRECAUTIONS SHOULD I TAKE? Trepka says now is the

time for people to be more cautious due to the region’s rise in cases. She recommends people wear masks in indoor public spaces, especially if in a crowded area. The CDC also recommends people wear masks in indoor public transportation. People should consider their own underlying health too.

Do you or a family member have a high risk condition? Are you immunocompromised? How old are you? Vaccinated or not vaccinated? Do you work with people who are considered high risk for severe illness?

These are all questions Trepka says people should be thinking about as they decide on whether to wear a mask and/or follow other precautions, at least, until the surge dies down again.

“It’s like when you’re riding on an airplane and the captain tell you that ‘we’re gonna have some turbulence, so put on your seatbelt.’ And then when things come down, the captain says ‘you can take your seatbelt off now.’ And I think that’s what we’re experiencing now, with COVID,” said Trepka.

CAN I STILL GET A COVID VACCINE AND BOOSTER? IS IT EFFECTIVE AGAINST THE NEW VARIANTS?

COVID-19 vaccines are still available at county-run sites and retail pharmacies across South Florida, including Publix, Walmart, Walgreens, Winn-Dixie, Fresco y Más and Navarro Discount Pharmacies.

As for the variants, it’s like alphabet soup. We’ve had alpha, delta and omicron. There are also subvariants. These are all mutated versions of the original strain of COVID-19.

At the moment, the dominant strain in the U.S. is BA.2.12.1, an omicron subvariant. Two other contagious omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, are quickly gaining ground, as the Herald has reported.

While the vaccine’s might not work as well against these variants, it will still offer some protection, said Trepka.

“And that’s why if you’re not vaccinated yet, you are going to definitely get a benefit from being vaccinated,” Trepka said. “If you’re not boosted, yet, you’ll get a benefit from being boosted.”

HOW DO I KNOW IF IT’S COVID, FLU, THE COMMON COLD OR ALLERGIES?

Sometimes people get a runny nose. A sore throat. Nasty diarrhea. And they feel really tired.

Is it COVID, the flu or the common cold? All three have similar symptoms — though losing your sense of taste or smell is more common with COVID — and makes it nearly impossible to tell unless you get tested.

What about COVID vs allergies? While there are a few similarities, allergies won’t give you fever. If you have itchy and water eyes, you likely need a Zyrtec or other allergy medication.

If you start to get a cough or other COVID-like symptoms, such as fever, your best bet is to go get tested. If you’re really curious about the similarities and differences between COVID and the flu, common cold and allergies, the Mayo Clinic (mayoclinic.org) has a useful chart online to look at.