COVID cases spike 55% in New York, doctors fear ‘frightening’ new variants

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In May, the COVID-19 emergency was officially declared over — but the coronavirus remains a significant threat, according to an increasingly concerned medical community.

The latest data from the New York state Department of Health, released Aug. 2, shows that COVID cases spiked by 55% since the prior week, with an average of 824 reported cases per day across the state.

And hospital admissions for the disease increased by 22% compared to the previous week, which translates to more than 100 admissions a day.

Meanwhile, a new variant — dubbed EG.5, or eris — has arisen as the dominant strain, causing about 17% of COVID cases nationwide, according to a new alert from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As new variants continue to appear, health experts are concerned that we’re not prepared — especially for a worst-case scenario.

“The most frightening thing is if the virus was more deadly,” Anna Bershteyn, assistant professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU’s medical school, told The Post.

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