A covid surge in western Europe has U.S. bracing for another wave

[TheProle]

Source: Washington Post

A surge in coronavirus infections in western Europe has experts and health authorities on alert for another wave of the pandemic in the United States even as most of the country has done away with restrictions after a sharp decline in cases.

Infectious-disease experts are closely watching the subvariant of omicron known as BA. 2, which appears to be more transmissible than the original strain, BA. 1, and is fueling the outbreak overseas.
What to know about BA.2, a new version of the omicron variant

Germany, a nation of 83 million people, saw more than 250,000 new cases and 249 deaths Friday, when Health Minister Karl Lauterbach called the nation’s situation “critical.” The country is allowing most coronavirus restrictions to end Sunday, despite the increase. The United Kingdom had a seven-day average of 65,894 cases and 79 deaths as of Sunday, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Research Center. The Netherlands, home to fewer than 18 million people, was averaging more than 60,000 cases the same day.

In all, about a dozen nations are seeing spikes in coronavirus infections caused by BA. 2, a cousin of the BA. 1 form of virus that tore through the United States over the past three months.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-covid-surge-in-western-europe-has-us-bracing-for-another-wave/ar-AAV8kgb

[swag]

1. And - CDC confirms uptick in Covid virus found in wastewater

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-confirms-uptick-covid-19-found-wastewater-rcna20120

Government scientists confirmed Tuesday that there has been an uptick in the presence of Covid-19 in wastewater samples across the U.S.

The potentially troubling trend comes as the country is shedding masks and easing pandemic restrictions aimed at stopping the spread of a virus that in two years has killed nearly a million people in the United States.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged the increase after Bloomberg reported that a third of the agency’s wastewater sample sites showed a rise in Covid cases from March 1 to March 10.

[TheProle]

2. I just can't get past this disconnect:

Germany, a nation of 83 million people, saw more than 250,000 new cases and 249 deaths Friday, when Health Minister Karl Lauterbach called the nation’s situation “critical.” The country is allowing most coronavirus restrictions to end Sunday, despite the increase.

[Jose Garcia]

6. Almost all of the people who die are unvaccinated

[AngryOldDem]

3. I hope another booster is approved.

I’m back to wearing my mask. I was at a concert Saturday night (symphony) and the venue’s mask policy is still in force. But looking around, I saw more than half the people not wearing them. A majority of patrons is older, so this is very concerning.

[riversedge]

12. I still mask....

I care for my very elderly 96 yr old mom. I would never forgive myself if I passed it onto her. She gets around in with a walker and her mind is fine [except when she is tired!!]. Anyway, I avoid stores except for essentials. drive thru for pharmacy. I still like to go into grocery stores but I mask up. Most not masked.

[IronLionZion]

4. Only a few old people plus me masking in my local Harris Teeter in DC this morning

everyone else was unmasked so we're definitely going to get lots more COVID in the US and just have to deal with it.

I went to the office yesterday and was among very few masked people. We're all vaccinated by mandate and many are boosted by choice.

[groundloop]

5. At this point anyone who's unvaxxed and gets sick has done it to themselves

[NYC Liberal]

7. What is the breakdown in cases/hospitalizations/deaths between unvaccinated vs vaccinated?

[progree]

8. World daily new cases, 7 day moving average up 15.3% between March 2 and March 15

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-cases.html
No paywall, no quota. The "last 90 days" button is very helpful

Europe and Asia-Pacific are leading the way in the upturn, unfortunately. Its not just a Europe thing.

For example S. Korea has 668 vs Germany 242 in daily new cases per 100k (7dma)

And the map is great for seeing at a glance the worst countries and areas. Hover your mouse over any country to see its daily new cases per 100K populaton (7 day moving average). as well as a 14 day trendline in that metric.

At my age, I don't want to find out if I'm one of the "mild" cases or not.

At any age, I don't want to find out if long covid is a thing with Omicron or not. Or with the next variant.

Nor am I gurgling in ecstasy about living in a dangerous disease-ridden environment, where this most transmissible variant by far has so much opportunity to mutate. All other things being equal, doesn't a 10 fold higher new case rate mean a 10 fold higher chance of a new serious variant appearing?

[Wuddles440]

9. And...

the incredible influx of refugees creates conditions that are target rich for the mutation and spread of Covid.

[RockCreek]

10. And from photos and videos of the first days of the war

And from photos and videos of the first days of the war, (before things got completely chaotic for those staying and for refugees) I remember being really impressed by and happy about how common face masks were in Ukraine.
I wonder what Ukrainian refugees there think of this upcoming change.

[BumRushDaShow]

11. CDC's latest variant proportions graph

CURRENT VERSION (as of today - 3/16/22)



PREVIOUS VERSION (captured 3/14/22)



BA.2 is definitely increasing although it doesn't seem to be doing so at the extreme rate that its predecessor Omicron variant did (I don't know if they have kept the percent of sample sequencing the same or had started cutting back with the drop of cases).

[BigmanPigman]

13. One silver lining is that it won't hit schools until Summer Vacation in

most areas. Of course we know by now that the various US states see different increases.