COVID Uptick On LI Seen During Past 3 Months: What To Know

LONG ISLAND, NY — COVID-19 is on the rise again across Long Island, according to an expert.

Dr. Sanjey Gupta, MD, senior vice president and executive director of emergency medicine at Northwell Health, spoke with Patch about the uptick — and what residents can do to stay safe.

"There has been a steady increase in test positive cases of COVID over the past three months," Dr. Gupta said in recent days. "According to the COVID-19 tracking dashboard, we are currently at 3.4 cases/100K people. This is likely an underprediction as results reported to New York State Department of Health are from all labs testing samples from New York State residents. Any self-administered home tests are not included in these data," he said.

Weekly hospitalizations have followed the same trend as the COVID cases, Dr. Gupta added. "There has been a steady increase in COVID-19-related hospitalizations on Long Island over the past three months, with the most recent reported rate of 2.1/100k people and 61 hospitalized patients."

Reflecting on the reason for the spike, Dr. Gupta said: "COVID is a seasonal virus, but somewhat uniquely has spikes twice a year, in the summer and in the winter. The virus mutates and often has multiple variants circulating at the same time."

Earlier in the summer, he said, the BA.3.2 variant was the predominant strain and, due to its many mutations on the spike protein, it was more likely to evade pre-existing immunity in people.

"The XFG.1.1 is currently the dominant strain. It is not fully known why COVID increases during the late summer cycle," he said.

To protect themselves, Dr. Gupta said Long Islanders can use many of the same strategies that they used in the past.

"If you are sick with a flu-like illness, stay home and try to stay away from others until you are symptom free," he said. "It is difficult to distinguish COVID from other viruses. You should also wash your hands and use a mask when appropriate. The elderly, those with multiple chronic medical problems, and those who are immunocompromised are the most susceptible to serious COVID illness and should take extra precaution."

Taking a look at vaccinations, Dr. Gupta said in August, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the 2026-2027 vaccine formulations, and the vaccines which predominantly target the XFG strain, currently the predominant strain.

As of today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, "has not published vaccine guidelines or official vaccine recommendations," Dr. Gupta said. "To fill this gap, many medical organizations, like the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Infectious Disease Society of America, have issued their own 2026-2027 respiratory vaccine recommendations for the patients that they represent."

Generally, Dr. Gupta said, people can get COVID-19 vaccines covered through their private health insurance, and updated COVID-19 vaccines are covered by private insurance, Medicare plans, and Medicaid plans.

Meanwhile, he said, many private insurances will cover the cost of Paxlovid, an oral prescription antiviral medication used to treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in those at high risk for severe illness.

Medicare's coverage for Paxlovid will extend through the end of 2026, after some segment specific eligibility requirements had been imposed in 2025, he added.

A newer preventative medication ensitrelvir, Xocova, is now available to help prevent infection after a known exposure, Dr. Gupta said.

For those who have contracted COVID, Dr. Gupta said the CDC treatment website for the treatment of COVID is up-to-date and provides appropriate recommendation for treatment for those with COVID. Most importantly, if one is feeling ill, the CDC website recommends discussing care options with one's health care provider, he said.

Looking ahead, in the coming weeks as the temps drop and people head indoors for celebrations, Dr. Gupta said: "Historically, the COVID infection rates will fall in the early fall but will rise as temperatures drop and people spending more time together indoors. These spikes are particularly notable after major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Passover, or New Year's Eve. As COVID-19 has a seasonal rise in the winter, it is often seen circulating at high levels at the same time as other respiratory viruses like influenza or RSV."

When asked if individuals were facing a severe threat, Dr. Gupta said: "Even as COVID numbers increase, widespread ER visits, severe illness, and hospitalizations remain low as compared to the past. This is likely due to widespread immunity from past infections and vaccinations. COVID does remain a serious threat to vulnerable groups like the elderly, immunocompromised people, those with chronic conditions like heart disease or diabetes, the very young, and pregnant women."

COVID, he added, "is still responsible for anywhere from 34,000 to 53,000 deaths from July 2024 to June 2025. Although we may not face the significant threat that we encountered during the COVID peak, COVID-19 can be dangerous, especially to high-risk populations."

For those concerned about the rise in numbers, Dr. Gupta said: "I would advise people to take the same precautions that they would normally take during a time of increased respiratory viruses. If one is sick, that person should isolate until symptom free. Frequent hand washing and avoidance of — or wearing a mask — in tight and highly populated indoor spaces should be considered. And try to avoid anyone who is sick."