NEW YORK (PIX11) -- You may have heard more people around you mentioning they recently contracted COVID 19.
In the city, COVID cases are up 317 percent between May and last week, based on a 7-day average and hospitalizations are up 160 percent.
Some experts say the numbers are likely much higher.
Stephanie Silvera is the Acting Associate Dean for the College of Public Health at Montclair State University. She said, “those are an undercount of those people who have covid. Very few people are going for clinical testing, the PCR tests, and those are the only ones being reported.”
She added, “The only way we really know what’s happening with covid is hospitalizations and those are slowly creeping up.”
If you test positive, the city recommends people isolate until they are fever free for 24 hours without medication and their other symptoms are improving.
For the next five days, it advises wearing a mask and distancing from others.
The city also reminds people it does offer free PCR testing at a location in Crown Heights.
Thomas Park is feeling better after testing positive for COVID earlier this week.
The 18-year-old is visiting NYC from North Carolina. He isolated until his serious symptoms subsided.
Thomas Park, “I mainly had a stuffy nose and a sore throat and headaches and body soreness.”
“It’s an ever prevalent threat that never really went away - obviously cases are down overall but it’s still something to take seriously.”
Experts say some people are not testing right now because they can’t afford to isolate. Park understands it can be hard to do so but hopes people will if they can.
“It’s something you have to do for the greater good of society. You have a duty to keep others as well as yourself safe.”
The City of New York released the following statement in response to the increase in COVID cases: “We are still seeing an increase in cases of COVID and have the tools and experience to protect ourselves and one another. We encourage anyone not feeling well to stay home to keep our communities safe. If you test positive for COVID, treatments are available to you. The city’s vaccine finder continues to be a valuable resource to help New Yorkers find a place to get vaccinated. And for people who want an extra layer or protection, high quality masks continue to help guard against all respiratory viruses.”
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