Western Reader
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently revealed that COVID rates are skyrocketing in certain US counties. This comes at a time when the nation is experiencing a continuous increase in COVID hospitalizations, marking the eighth week in a row of this trend.
According to the CDC, Georgia has the highest rates with six counties, followed by Oklahoma with four, and Texas with three. However, there is some positive news amidst the concerns. Approximately one in ten counties, a total of 303, reported zero COVID admissions in the most recent week for which data is available. This indicates that while some areas are being heavily impacted, others are relatively unaffected.
Three years of Covid hotspots in the U.S. pic.twitter.com/5fyHuq7b1A
— 4fureepauz (@4fureepauz) March 26, 2023
Dr. Thomas Moore, an infectious disease expert at the University of Kansas, anticipates an increase in COVID admissions in various counties later this year. However, he reassures that this increase is unlikely to reach the levels seen in previous waves.
He also attributes this to the absence of a Paxlovid-resistant or vaccine-resistant strain, suggesting that the surges experienced with previous strains, such as Delta and Omicron, will not be replicated.
Although hospitalization rates are rising, they are still higher than historic lows. The most recent complete data available, for the week ending August 26, shows a slight increase in the test positivity rate from 13.6 percent to 14.1 percent. This indicates that while the situation is concerning, it is not spiraling out of control.
In the midst of these developments, Dr. Anthony Fauci, former White House chief medical adviser, has stirred controversy with his stance on mask mandates. Despite facing criticism, he stated that he would be ‘extremely surprised’ if nationwide face mask mandates were reinstated this winter, even in the face of a significant rise in COVID cases.
Covid hotspots across the US mapped as hospitalizations soar in ‘late summer wave’https://t.co/I0mRMFRCyD pic.twitter.com/51LRGWzoIW
— ExpressUSNews (@ExpressUSNews) September 13, 2023
Dr. Fauci’s comments have raised eyebrows, especially as schools, colleges, and businesses across America begin to ask staff and students to wear masks again. While he did not rule out the possibility of masks being ‘recommended’ at the state or local level, he firmly dismissed the idea of federal mandates returning.
Although COVID hospitalization rates are increasing in half of the 3,224 counties in the US, they are still much lower than the record highs of January 2022. Experts predict a further increase in COVID hospitalizations and deaths in the coming weeks as winter approaches. However, they assure that the wave of COVID admissions will not reach the same levels as previous winters.
This article appeared in Watch Dog News and has been published here with permission.
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