We're In a Major COVID-19 Surge. It's Our New Normal

[riversedge]

I and my family depend on vaccines--and new ones to be developed and booster shots.
I am also vigilant and avoid crowds.


We’re In a Major COVID-19 Surge. It’s Our New Normal
https://time.com/6554340/covid-19-surge-2024/?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us




A person wears their mask dangling off an ear during the 2024 COVID-19 surge.

By Jamie Ducharme
January 12, 2024 8:00 AM EST

You probably know a lot of sick people right now. Most parts of the U.S. are getting pummeled by respiratory illness, with 7% of all outpatient health care visits recorded during the week ending Dec. 30 related to these sicknesses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Many people are sick with flu, while others have RSV or other routine winter viruses. But COVID-19 is also tearing through the population, thanks largely to the highly contagious JN.1 variant. Just like every year since 2021, this one is starting with a COVID-19 surge—and Americans are getting a good glimpse of what their “new normal” may look like, says Katelyn Jetelina, the epidemiologist who writes the Your Local Epidemiologist newsletter.


“Unfortunately,” she says, “signs are pointing to this [being] the level of disruption and disease we’re going to be faced with in years to come.”

The CDC no longer tracks COVID-19 case counts, which makes it harder than it once was to say exactly how widely the virus is spreading. Monitoring the amount of virus detected in wastewater, while not a perfect proxy for case counts, is probably the best real-time signal currently available—and right now, that signal is a screaming red siren. According to some analyses, wastewater data suggest the current surge is second in size only to the monstrous first wave of Omicron, which peaked in early 2022. By some estimates, more than a million people in the U.S. may be newly infected every single day at the peak of this wave.




...............But, Davis says, all responsibility shouldn’t fall on individuals. She says it’s a “huge injustice” that the government hasn’t done more to warn the public that people can still get Long COVID, and that reinfections can lead to serious health issues. ..........................

[republianmushroom]

1. Yup, and it will continue.

[pwb]

2. My kids want me to mask up again

when I go out.

[riversedge]

4. I did last week when local library had their book sale--and took two grade school

nieces with me--I had them mask up also as it was pretty crowed. Saw maybe a dozen and half others with masks.

[Susan Calvin]

7. Do it.

I'm probably masking in buildings for the rest of my life, myself.

[C_U_L8R]

3. Iowa may be less a few republicans

Didn't see any masks at the caucuses last night on tv.

[riversedge]

5. Here is a pic of a crowded Iowa caucus room last night..........

Link to tweet

?s=20

[patphil]

6. Current data is spotty at best from what I see at Worldometers.

You have to go back weeks to see the true picture regarding cases and deaths.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries

The best I can tell is that we are still having about 100 people die from covid each day in the United States. That's over 36,000 a year. Not at panic levels yet, but still that's a lot of people who won't be around to celebrate the holidays next December.

[ismnotwasm]

8. Yup

I track the numbers of positives in my hospital and as of right now there are 15 Covid positive patients. Yesterday it was 17. There are many more, but we triage as as many as possible to home when they come to the ED, but some people are too sick, or more likely, have other issues.