BA.4 and BA.5 are now dominant
This is an article from Nebraska, but talks about the national covid-19 situation: “Our national COVID-19 case rate is at an 'elevated plateau.' … There are more than 300 deaths per day, and hospitalizations have increased 13% over the last two weeks.” Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5 are estimated to be two-thirds of the cases nationally. They call it “plateau” but I expect it to be steadily rising all summer. At the current death rate, this would be 100,000 deaths annually.
https://www.nebraskamed.com/COVID/what-covid-19-variants-are-going-around-in-july-2022
We are in a silent surge
We all know a lot of people who have gotten covid-19 lately. Ignore the case counts. Here’s an example of sewage monitoring in California that has reached all-time highs. ‘The sewage never lies.’
https://www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article263044553.html
And I don’t know if this is true, but at least one doctor "estimates 80 percent of infections with Omicron [variants] are actually asymptomatic."
https://archive.ph/JGCdF
"The new omicron variants ... have been shown to be not only more contagious but also capable of causing reinfection.”
And more good info in this article, local to San Francisco but with many national topics.
https://missionlocal.org/2022/07/7-6-22-tracker/
Getting repeat infections is not a good idea
The bottom line seems to be that each new covid-19 infection essentially rolls the dice again with no credit or penalty from the prior infections. Repeat cases are not necessarily the same, or less severe.
The study was for patients in the Veteran Affairs health system, so it is not a representative sample of the U.S. population as a whole. Still, it found that "compared with those with just one Covid-19 infection, those with two or more documented infections had more than twice the risk of dying and three times the risk of being hospitalized within six months of their last infection."
https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/05/health/covid-reinfection-risk/index.html
And from the Washington Post covid-19 newsletter of June 27th:
"Q-How many times can a person ... be infected with Coronavirus after taking both shots of the vaccine and a booster shot?
A-The short answer, unfortunately, is that the number of times a vaccinated and boosted person can get infected is probably limitless."
"Patients With COVID-19 May Have Loss of Taste, Smell for Years After Infection, But Remain Unaware”
One of the many “long covid” effects.
[The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.]
Highlights From Past Blogs
June 10 - Returning Safely After Covid
May 31 - Covid Myth-Busting
May 10 - Reduced-Risk Gatherings
April 29 - The Big Meter
April 7 - How to Test
February 25 - One. Million. Deaths.
February 16 - Ventilation Revolution
January 11 - Air Purifiers
January 4 - Masks That Actually Work
December 15 - The Double Risk of Indoor Dining