COVID cases are down in the US, leaving people wondering if we’re still in a pandemic; we are, but experts are concerned about a possible spike this winter due to rising cases in European countries such as the UK, France and Italy. “In the past, what happened in Europe has often been a harbinger of what is about to happen in the United States,” he says. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. “So I think the bottom line for us in this country is: we have to be prepared for what you’re starting to see in Europe.”
Another thing experts are closely monitoring is novelty. omicron variants Appearing. “We look around the world and see that countries like Germany and France are experiencing increases as we speak,” he says. lauren ancel meyers, director of the UT COVID-19 Modeling Consortium at the University of Texas at Austin. “That gives me food for thought. It adds uncertainty about what we can expect in the coming weeks and months.”
While the US is likely to see an increase in cases, it is not certain. NPR, reports: “That’s because it’s not clear whether the rising cases in Europe are related to people’s increased susceptibility to new subvariants to which they haven’t yet been exposed. Also, different countries have different levels of immunity.” “. Justin Lessler, an epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina who helps administer the COVID-19 Scenario Modeling Center says, “If it’s mainly behavioral and climate changes, we might be able to avoid similar increases if there’s wide acceptance of the bivalent vaccine,” says Lessler. “If it is an immune escape through multiple variants with convergent evolution, the outlook for the US may be more worrisome.” Read on and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure signs you’ve already had COVID.
According to NPR, “The virus levels detected in sewage have increased in some parts of the country, as in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Vermont, and other parts of the Northeast. That could be an early warning sign of things to come, although overall the virus is declining nationally.”
“It’s really too early to say anything big is happening, but it’s something we’re keeping an eye on,” he says. amy kirby, leader of the national wastewater surveillance program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
NPR reports: “But infections and even hospitalizations have begun to rise in some of the same parts of New England, as well as in other northern areas, such as the Pacific Northwest, according to Dr. David Rubin, the director of the PolicyLab at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, which tracks the pandemic. “We’re seeing the northern edge of the country starting to show some evidence of increased transmission,” says Rubin. “The revival of winter is beginning.”
David SouleleMPH, Director of the COVID-19 Response Team at the University of California, Irvine tells us: “Evidence of a potential increase can be seen by looking at our neighbors to the east and west, specifically in Europe, where case numbers they are advancing little by little. There have also been reports that we should expect a bad flu season, which will make tracking COVID cases more difficult as the symptoms are similar. To prevent serious reactions to COVID and the flu, we need to get vaccinated and take other measures, such as hygiene, sleeping well, eating well, tracking cases in your community, and being aware of the spread of the virus.”
A high-ranking Chicago doctor expects a spike in cases and told him NBC, “I haven’t seen anything really scary on the horizon yet, but I think we’re going to see a surge of COVID. I’d be the happiest person in the world if we get to February or March and we haven’t seen even a small spike of COVID, just because it’s respiratory season and the way we see flu and RSV and everything else going up in the winter, I think we’re expecting at least one increase in COVID,” said Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady. she said. “The question is really what does that look like with variants?”
In addition to worrying about COVID this winter, experts are also warning about the flu. Dr. Benjamin Alli, MD/ PhD Professor of Sakellerides and author of not just covidcoming out later this month, tells us: “This winter is expected to be especially brutal due to influenza (twin virus) and other respiratory illnesses that have been on the rise in several areas, largely due to misinformation (controversy about continuing to wear a mask), and a decline in those in the healthcare industry who want to continue for various reasons, including stress, personal crisis, payment, and more.”
NBC reports: “Hospitals across the country are bracing for another winter with Covid, the first one that is also expected to include high levels of influenza and other respiratory illnesses that have quietly simmered in the background for the past two years. of influenza are already increasing in parts of the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pediatricians are also seeing a growing number of children sick with respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and enterovirus. And despite a downward trend in covidTens of thousands of new cases continue to be diagnosed every day.
More people have gotten the vaccine, which will help with some immunity.
NPR reports: “We have a lot more immunity in the population than we did last winter,” says Jennifer Nuzo, which directs the Pandemic Center at the School of Public Health at Brown University. “Not only have people gotten vaccinated, but a lot of people now have gotten this virus. In fact, some people have gotten it multiple times. And that adds up.” [immunity] in the population and reduce our overall risk of severe disease,” says Nuzzo.
However, interest in the latest booster is really low. “Nearly 50% of people who are eligible for a booster have not received it,” he says. William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. “He’s wild. He’s really crazy.” The new booster was available over Labor Day weekend and fewer that 8 million people have gotten one. With a surge likely, Nuzzo reminds us that keeping up with reinforcements is vital. “The most important thing we could do is take it off the table that this virus can cause serious illness and death,” she says. “There are a lot of people who could really benefit from getting a boost, but haven’t.”
Bernadette Boden-AlbalaMPH, DrPH, founding dean of the UCI Public Health Program says, “To prevent serious reactions to COVID and the flu, we need to get vaccinated and take other steps, including hygiene, sleeping well, eating well, tracking case counts in your community, and considering the spread of the virus.
Dr. William Li, physician, scientist, president and medical director of the Angiogenesis Foundation, and author of Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself explains: “The easiest way to protect yourself against severe COVID illness is to get your bivalent vaccine. You could still get infected if you are exposed, but you won’t get as sick and it’s unlikely you’ll need hospitalization. The easiest way to not be exposed is to wear a good quality mask (N95/KN95) that is available everywhere.” And to protect your life and that of others, do not visit any of these 35 places where you are most likely to get COVID.
