Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise in Carbon and surrounding counties. But experts say that compared to previous surges, there have been fewer severe cases and deaths.

“We are seeing many more cases, but the number of hospitalizations, even though they are up, is a fraction of what it was at its height,” said Dr. Jeffrey Jahre, Senior Vice President of Medical and Academic Affairs for St. Luke’s University Health Network.

Statewide, the number of new cases for the week ending May 17 was 27,391, a 23 percent increase over the previous week. It is the highest total since February.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently classified Carbon, Monroe, Lehigh and Northampton counties as areas with a “high” community level of the virus.

The new variants are much more transmissible than earlier variants such as delta.

“You’d be hard-pressed to find an individual that doesn’t have someone close to them who has had COVID recently,” Jahre said.

But Jahre cautioned that the numbers should be weighed against the relatively low number of hospitalizations and deaths currently being reported.

St. Luke’s has about 60 people hospitalized versus more than 300 at the peak of the wintertime surge.

In addition to the less severe variant, Jahre said vaccines are doing their job by preventing cases from becoming serious.

“The vast majority of people in the hospital with COVID are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated with an underlying health condition,” he said.

More than 80 percent of those with COVID in ICU beds at St. Luke’s are unvaccinated. People are also more likely to end up in the hospital if they have an underlying health condition and did not receive a booster dose of the vaccine.

Vaccines and boosters also play a role in how long a person should quarantine following exposure to COVID-19, a topic which comes up often when case numbers surge.

CDC says that people exposed to an infected person do not have to be isolated if they are up to date on their vaccines, and don’t show any symptoms. They are, however, urged to wear a mask.

People who aren’t up to date, including those who have been vaccinated but not boosted, are urged to quarantine for five days.

The number of Pennsylvanians who have received a booster shot still lags far behind the overall vaccination rate. Last week, CDC for the first time recommended booster shots for children ages 5-11. Vaccine doses for children under 5 are currently undergoing FDA approval.

Jahre said that the recent rise in cases shows what few want to hear - COVID remains a concern. He strongly urges vaccines - and for those with other health conditions, boosters.

“We may want to put it behind us, but it hasn’t put us behind it,” he said.