Paxlovid and other treatments can significantly reduce the risk of severe illness from COVID-19. (Stephanie Nano, Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

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Masks have become a rarity in day-to-day life and social distancing a fading memory. Despite this, the numbers make it clear that the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

Nationally, close to 400 people a day on average succumb to the still-circulating, still-evolving virus, according the COVID tracker maintained by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The daily average of new hospital admissions is above 5,000.

Cases, while down dramatically from the omicron variant-fueled spike earlier this year, have nevertheless remained at a higher level this summer compared with 2020 and 2021. Infectious-disease expert Michael Osterholm is among those calling attention to this, dubbing it "COVID's high plateau."

It's not an ideal place to be with fall looming. While COVID's course remains unpredictable, colder weather's return in the last two years coincided with swiftly increasing infections in Minnesota and elsewhere. It makes sense to assume the pandemic's third fall will follow suit and to take practical steps to prepare.

Doing so also helps safeguard the health care system's capacity. Doctors, nurses and other staffers have logged long hours in previous surges. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has sounded the alarm about "crisis levels of burnout" among medical providers.

In Minnesota, tense labor negotiations between the nurses' union and hospital systems underscore prevention's urgency. Nurses in the metro and in the Duluth area recently voted to authorize a strike. "Union leaders said they hoped the vote would jolt stagnant negotiations and avoid what would otherwise be one of the largest nursing strikes in U.S. history with 15,000 caregivers leaving a dozen Minnesota hospitals at once," the Star Tribune has reported.

This is a time of year for trips to Target and other retailers to stock up on notebooks, folders, pencils and other back-to-school supplies. With many big stores offering COVID essentials in pharmacy departments, Minnesotans should add a COVID checklist to this yearly shopping ritual.

Key considerations for prepping:

Are family members fully vaccinated and boosted? The CDC "recommends COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older and boosters for everyone 5 years and older." Regrettably, too many people haven't gotten the shots or need a booster. Just 32% of Minnesota's population is considered "up to date" on COVID vaccines, meaning that they've received all doses for which they're eligible.

Hopefully, variant-specific COVID vaccines will become available soon in the United States. This will be a welcome advance, but it won't do any good if people don't take advantage of the strengthened protection the shots offer. It will be important to monitor the updated vaccines' availability and ensure that those who are eligible are promptly immunized.

Have households stocked up on free at-home COVID tests? Federal and state governments continue to offer no-cost COVID tests shipped to your home. There are limits on how many a single household can get, but it's worth checking to see if you're eligible for another round of free tests. During a surge, the tests can be hard to find at retailers. For more information about the free federal tests, go to special.usps.com/testkits. To learn more about the free state tests, go to mn.gov/covid19/get-tested/at-home/index.jsp or call the Minnesota Department of Health COVID-19 Public Hotline at 1-833-431-2053.
Do you know what to do if you or someone in your family becomes ill with COVID? Paxlovid and other treatments can significantly reduce the risk of severe illness. Timing is important. Paxlovid, for example, should be started within five days of symptom onset. While regular medical providers and clinics can help patients access treatments, the state has five community testing sites offering on-the-spot Paxlovid prescriptions for those eligible — at Brooklyn Park, Duluth, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Moorhead and St. Paul-Midway. For more information, go to mn.gov/covid19/get-tested/testing-locations/community-testing.jsp

Living with the virus shouldn't equate to complacency. It's best to take action now to protect families and communities if this "high plateau" becomes yet another fall-winter spike.