By last week, most of Butler County’s students returned to their respective schools, just in time for a slight uptick in COVID-19.

In August, Butler County saw its second highest number of COVID-19 cases in 2022, but though that may sound bad, it’s also a far cry from a terrible start to the year.

According to the latest data released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Butler County saw 1,704 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in August, and during that time, 11 people died from the virus.

Inpatient levels have ranged between 10 and 20 people each day, according to Dr. John Love, an infectious disease specialist at Butler Health System.

“It’s not been a particular impact or hardship,” Love said. “That said, we still have 10 people in the hospital from COVID-19. There are still people who do get seriously sick, and the country is still dealing with COVID.”

Love said the most important advice he can give anyone is to stay home if they’re sick.

“The same kind of consideration you give to influenza, you need to give for COVID,” he said.

For parents or others whose attentions are drawn back to COVID-19 and its protocols, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommendations posted onto its website, last updated Aug. 11.

First, it recommends anyone, regardless of vaccination status, to isolate themselves if they are sick or suspect they have COVID-19. If that person tests negative, there’s no need for further isolation.

If they test positive, there are some recommendations, most of which depend on a couple factors.

The first is whether the person is symptomatic. If a person has no symptoms, their first day is considered the day after they test positive. If they were already sick when they tested positive, then the first day of isolation is one day after their first symptom appeared.

“If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home for at least five days and isolate from others in your home,” the CDC said. “You are likely most infectious during these first five days.”

If asymptomatic, a person can stop isolating after the fifth day. If they have symptoms, they should make sure they are fever-free for at least 24 hours and feel generally better.

Once isolation is over, the CDC recommends continuing to wear a mask for another five days or testing regularly with antigen tests.

“If your antigen test results are positive, you may still be infectious,” the CDC said. “You should continue wearing a mask and wait at least 48 hours before taking another test.”

The CDC suggests it is possible for a person to continue being infectious beyond the 10-day window.

Love said he feels people should be cautious as they plan their returns to work, school or any activities, especially those that would put them in contact with older people or those at-risk for serious illness.

“It takes some thinking beyond yourself, because your actions can impact a lot of people if you don’ take it seriously and take care of yourself,” Love said.

While COVID-19 cases are rising, they are still lower than the beginning of the year.

“I think back frequently to the November of 2021, to the delta wave, to just how heavy and dark and difficult that was for everyone,” Love said. “This just doesn’t have the same taste to it.”

In recent months, COVID-19 news cases have climbed slowly. In June there were 1,128 new cases, and five people died. And in July, there were 1,382 new cases, and eight people died.

While hearing about COVID-19 levels increasing may sound bad, it is still nowhere near this year’s peak in January.

In January, 9,405 county residents contracted the virus, and 52 of them died from it.

Butler County’s numbers declined heavily between January and February. Then, between March and April combined, the county only saw 819 new cases.

So far in 2022, 17,346 county residents have tested positive for COVID-19, and 140 of its residents have died as a result. Thus, about 9% of the county’s population have contracted the virus this year, and 0.0007% of the county’s population — which was 187,853 as of 2019 — have died from COVID-19.

To date, since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 50,535 confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to the department’s figures, which likely does not include those who tested positive solely at home.

Cumulatively, about 774 county residents have died since the outbreak began in 2020.

Though the numbers may not scream “emergency,” they’re not zero, and Love believes COVID-19 will continue making headlines through the remainder of the year.

Love said the next major focus will be administering the bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine to all who will take it.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorizations for the Moderna and PFizer-BioNTech vaccines to authorize the new booster.

“The COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters, continue to save countless lives and prevent the most serious outcomes (hospitalization and death) of COVID-19,” said FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf on Wednesday, Aug. 31. “As we head into fall and begin to spend more time indoors, we strongly encourage anyone who is eligible to consider receiving a booster dose with a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants.”

The booster contains the components of the original strain as well as the latest common strains BA.4 and BA.5, which are under the umbrella of the omicron variant.

“We’re hoping to have it next week,” Love said.

Getting the vaccine will be the first step, but the healthy system will then have to get the vaccine moving and scheduled, which could take additional time.

The vaccine also comes with specific requirements, according to Love.

Love said if a person has already had at least the first two doses, they can get the booster. If the person has yet to receive the first two-doses, they will have to get them first, then get the booster.

“We will post updates to our website, including scheduling for our vaccine clinics,” Love said.