It seems the U.S. is creeping into another surge. Unfortunately, COVID-19 cases are on the rise again after a two-month decline. As of now, medical professionals aren’t sure how bad the potential surge will be? However, they aren’t expecting the next wave to be as bad as when the omicron variant hit. The potential wave will be caused by the mutant variant BA.2, which is about 30% more contagious.
Currently, medical professionals are concerned about the hospitalization numbers, which have risen in some parts of the Northeast and will continue to rise. In addition, they’re looking at the accuracy of numbers since many people are testing at home and, at times, not reporting their infections. During the omicron surge, the cases reached hundreds of thousands per day. According to data from Johns Hopkins, the seven-day rolling average rose to 39,521 from 30,724.
COVID-19 Cases Numbers By Region
The numbers are predicted to rise. The focus is on keeping a surge in check since there is a higher level of immunity in the U.S. from vaccinations. There is always a fear that the BA.2 surge could hit some communities harder due to comparable immunity levels. The northeast has been hit hardest so far, with more than 90% of the new infections caused by BA.2. As of last week, the highest rates of new COVID cases per capita over the past 14 days were in Vermont, Rhode Island, Alaska, New York, and Massachusetts.
Another alarming statistic was in states like Rhode Island and New Hampshire, the average of daily new cases rose by more than 100% in two weeks. New Hampshire saw an increase in cases after the closure of all 11-state-managed vaccination sites. Now, the governor is being pressured to make changes to keep the people safe. Rhode Island Department of Health is focused on the number of hospitalization, which is low. Only 55 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized. Officials credit the high vaccination rates. Per the CDC, hospital admissions of patients with COVID-19 were slightly increased in New England and the New York region. For the west coast, Oregon Health & Science University projects an increase in hospitalizations over the next two months.
As the wave moves across the country, experts said states with low vaccination rates might face substantially more infections and severe cases in the hospital.
