COVID levels are so high, they're hovering near 2020's initial peak

[usonian]

https://fortune.com/well/2023/09/16/united-states-covid-levels-approach-first-pandemic-peak-2020-who-urges-vaccination-boosters-high-risk/

U.S. COVID infections are hovering near levels of the pandemic’s first peak in 2020, and approaching the Delta peak of late 2021, according to wastewater surveillance and modeling by forecasters.

It’s yet another sign that while the official pandemic state may be over, the days of COVID are far from it.

Viral wastewater levels are not far behind all of the pandemic’s 2020 peaks except for one—the initial peak of March 2020, which they’ve already surpassed. And they lag just slightly levels seen during the deadly Delta peak of late 2021, according to Biobot Analytics, which monitors such data for the federal government.

A forecast issued this week by Jay Weiland, a leading COVID modeler, came to the same conclusions. On Thursday, Weiland estimated that 650,000 Americans are becoming infected daily, with 1 in 51 Americans currently infected with COVID.

I was the only one at the grocery store today wearing a mask.

Didn't check the pharmacy.
On edit: apologies for the accidental double post.

[MLAA]

1. Husband and I were only ones masked in the small, but busy waiting room for his eye appointment.

[AllaN01Bear]

2. i never quit wearing mine .

[MyNameIsJonas]

3. But hospitalizations and deaths are not.

This is what we kind of expected and hoped for, no? That we would reach a point where COVID was manageable because we pretty much knew it wouldn't go away.

[usonian]

4. My non-medical opinion: milder variants, more vaccinations,

more and quicker home recoveries with Paxlovid.

I have read that variants are similar to a bad cold but still more serious.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/do-i-have-a-cold-or-covid-5214418

[Fiendish Thingy]

5. A bit misleading but still worth noting

Increased Waste water level’s definitely means cases are up, but can’t be precisely compared to 2020 case number obtained via PCR testing.

The other important numbers are: although waste water levels are significantly higher, hospitalizations and deaths have not increased at the same rate.

[usonian]

6. I thnk that reporting has slacked off, and that there are milder variants these days,

more home testing, more vaccinated people, and more home treatments, i.e. with Paxlovid etc.

So, it's an unbalanced comparison, but useful nonetheless.

Statistics is/are a tricky game.

I recently found out that the "How to Lie with Statistics" book that we admired was authored or promoted by the tobacco industry, in order to lessen credibility in the real life statistics that smoking was deadly.

Correct me if I got this wrong.

[XanaDUer2]

7. I had to tell a dental assistant

To wear a mask Tuesday

[usonian]

8. When I was a kid, the barber had a fondness for garlic.

No mask could cover that up. I bring a little box of Altoids with me everywhere to this day. 😷

And I do my own haircuts. Those graduated combs keep it even!

Not doing my own dental work, other than the daily maintenance.

[XanaDUer2]

9. I'm having expensive tmj tx

I had to ask her last time