The omicron subvariant BA.2 accounts for more than one-third of COVID-19 cases nationwide and more than half of cases in the Northeast, according to the latest variant proportion estimates from the CDC.
Category: Public Health
UK COVID-19 hospitalizations, cases increase: What it means for the US
U.S. officials are closely monitoring COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the United Kingdom — which have continued to rise over the last few weeks — and are considering what it could mean for the U.S.
The issues with wastewater surveillance
Since people shed the coronavirus in their feces before showing symptoms or testing positive, wastwater surveillance of virus levels is intended to serve as an early warning system for upcoming surges or new variant detection. But these efforts are pat…
To Families’ Dismay, Biden Nursing Home Reform Doesn’t View Them as Essential Caregivers
Relatives who often provide vital caregiving for nursing home residents say the lockdowns during the covid pandemic showed the need for family members to visit in person with their loved ones. About a dozen states have passed laws guaranteeing that right, and California is considering one.
Immunocompromised Patients Worry Vaccine Exemptions Put Them in Peril
Montana’s governor pushed the state’s health workers to seek religious exemptions to a federal mandate to be vaccinated against covid, but the number who have done so is unknown.
9 states ending daily COVID-19 reporting
At least nine states have cut back on daily COVID-19 reports that provide information on new cases, hospitalizations and deaths, The New York Times reported March 19.
Pfizer CEO Pushes Yearly Shots for Covid. Not So Fast, Experts Say.
A corporate CEO’s call for a fourth mRNA shot struck those closely watching the pandemic as self-serving. It creates public pressure for a fourth dose of vaccine before government experts have time to assess the evidence and settle on the best course forward.
The caveats of COVID-19 forecasting right now
U.S. health officials are closely monitoring COVID-19 activity in the U.K., where cases and hospitalizations are simultaneously rising due to omicron subvariant BA.2, though many experts say it’s too soon to accurately predict if or when a similar upti…
Omicron subvariant accounts for 30% of cases in New York City
The BA.2 omicron subvariant now accounts for about 30 percent of new cases in New York City, health officials said March 18. Nationwide, the CDC estimates the variant accounts for about 23 percent of new cases.
COVID-19 vaccinations slump amid BA.2 threat: 10 CDC findings
Daily COVID-19 vaccinations in the U.S. are falling, according to the CDC’s COVID-19 data tracker weekly review published March 18, amid concerns the omicron subvariant BA.2 may fuel another uptick in cases..
