Topline
The U.S. on Wednesday reported more than 200,000 Covid-19 cases for the first time since February, according to a tracker run by Johns Hopkins University, as multiple lineages of the highly infectious omicron variant of the coronavirus, as the country finds itself in the middle of another growing wave of infections.
People walk past a Covid testing site in New York City.
Key Facts
According to the JHU tracker, the U.S. reported a total of 208,383 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday—the highest it has been since February 11—along with 943 deaths.
Experts are concerned the U.S. may be on the cusp of a sixth wave of infections fueled by omicron subvariants, the Associated Press reports.
During a White House briefing, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky urged local governments to encourage mask-wearing in public places and other mitigation strategies like increased testing to prevent another wave across the country.
Walensky noted that the Northeast, Eastern Corridor and upper Midwest regions of the country are witnessing increased cases and hospitalizations, an area where nearly one-third of the American population lives.
At the same briefing, Dr. Ashish Jha, the coordinator of the White House’s Covid-19 task force, said the “use of rapid tests is a very effective way of keeping infections down” as people can test themselves prior to attending a large gathering or meeting people who are vulnerable.
Jha also urged Congress to pass additional funding to buy adequate shots for all Americans once new generation Covid-19 vaccines are available in the fall or winter.
Big Number
50.9%. That’s the percentage of Covid-19 cases in the U.S. that were caused by the BA.2 subvariant of omicron last week, according to surveillance data released by the Centers for Disease Control And Prevention (CDC). The fast-rising BA.2.12.1 subvariant now accounts for 47.5% of cases while different variants of omicron cover nearly 100% of all U.S. cases.
Crucial Quote
“Variants will continue to emerge if the virus circulates globally…We can keep the level of virus to the lowest possible level, which is the best way to avoid variants. Because the less replication, the less mutation; the less mutation, the less variants,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease official said. He added that vaccines “continue to provide strong protection against severe disease.”
Key Background
Even as Covid-19 cases have risen across parts of the U.S., local officials have been reluctant to reintroduce mask mandates or any other form of restrictions. Earlier this week, New York City’s Democratic Mayor Eric Adams said the city was “not at the point” where it will reintroduce measures like mask mandates or requiring vaccine passes. The city, however, has issued an advisory encouraging people to voluntarily mask up indoors and raised its virus alert level to ‘High’. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu also noted that the city doesn’t plan to issue a mask mandate but is recommending that people should wear them. In February, the CDC updated its guidance on mask-wearing, recommending them only in areas that report high levels of severe cases.
Further Reading
A third of US should be considering masks, officials say (Associated Press)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/05/19/us-reports-more-than-200000-covid-cases-highest-level-since-february/