If you’re noticing more people are getting sick in recent weeks, you are not alone.
New sub-variants of COVID-19 are spreading, at worst — sending people to emergency rooms, at the least — forcing people to stay inside or wear masks outside.
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The latest Centers for Disease Control data shows emergency room visits and deaths due to COVID are up.
We are nowhere near the numbers we experienced in 2020-2021, but it goes to show that we are not done dealing with this ugly virus.
The uptick in cases is due to a collection of sub-variants known as FLiRT. According to John Hopkins, this is the term being used to describe a whole family of different variants. They are all descendants of the JN.1 variant that has been dominant in the U.S. for the past several months.
The latest cases of COVID are milder than in years past, but that doesn’t mean you can let your guard down.
The symptoms and effects of the virus are no joke and can appear two to 14 days after exposure. They include:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion/runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
If you test positive for COVID, see your doctor for an antiviral treatment. That can shorten the length of your illness.
We checked around town for prices and locations of COVID tests Wednesday afternoon, and here’s what we found:
Overall, Walmart has the cheapest kit at $6.98 and Target at $7.99. The highest price is Walgreens at $24 per kit. (Most kits contain two tests).
Walmart All Available: $6.98-$19 for 1 kit. 6767 103rd St. 4250 Philips Hwy. 9890 Hutchinson Park Dr. 8808 Beach Blvd. 7075 FL-5, Jacksonville. 7075 Collins Rd. 9550 Baymeadows Rd. Out: 6855 Wilson Blvd.
Walgreens All Available: $24 for 1 kit. 1801 N Davis St. 11430 Beach Blvd. 5108 Norwood Ave. 3604 Blanding Blvd. 7224 Merrill Rd. 11135 Lem Turner Rd. 5340 Soutel Dr. 7512 Lem Turner Rd. 12002 McCormick Rd. 4715 Hodges Blvd. 10899 Baymeadows Rd. 406 Atlantic Ave.
Publix All Available: 7117 Merrill Rd. (a FEW left) $9.99 for one box. 5858 Atlantic Blvd. $9.99. 4320 Deerwood Lake Pkwy. 7749 Normandy Blvd. 11250 Old St Augustine Rd. 6001 Argyle Forest Blvd ( 2 left). 410 Blanding Blvd, Orange Park. 7628 103rd St (a few left). Out: 2033 Riverside Ave. (not sure when they’re back) $10.
Target: Target does sell the tests. For one box it’s $7.99 and 5 for $35.
The CVS Pharmacy inside Targets do not sell at home testing kits. That includes these stores: 6331 Roosevelt Blvd. 444 Monument Rd. 4567 River City Dr. 10490 San Jose Blvd. 9041 Southside Blvd. 490 Marsh Landing Pkwy.