January 12, 2024 – Sneezing, coughing, sniffling – It may seem like everyone you know has some type of respiratory virus right now.Currently, the United States hit with a hammer The number of patients suffering from such illnesses has been on the rise in recent weeks, with an increase in doctor visits due to respiratory viruses. data Data from the CDC's wastewater surveillance system shows we are in the second-largest coronavirus surge of the pandemic, with about 62% of the coronavirus strains currently circulating. corresponds to the JN1 mutant strain.
So why does no one seem to care?
the pandemic is still going on
In the last week of December, about 35,000 Americans were hospitalized with the coronavirus. This means that the number of hospitalized patients in the recent week has increased by 20%. CDC data indicates. At the same time, nearly 4% of all deaths in the U.S. are related to the coronavirus, and the death rate increased by 12.5% in the past week.
This latest surge in the JN1 variant has resulted in the highest number of hospitalizations since nearly a year ago. On January 7, 2023, the number of hospitalizations exceeded his 44,000. No one can predict when this upward trend in hospitalizations and deaths will level off or decline, but for now, the trend is only increasing.
About 12% of people who have reported coronavirus results have tested positive, but that number is likely to be higher given the widespread use of at-home testing.
Why are there no alarm bells?
If the numbers had gone up like this a year or two ago, it would have been front page news. But unlike the early experience of COVID-19, the globally shared sense of caution and uncertainty has been largely replaced by complacency and „pandemic fatigue.“
Many of us want to just move on.
For people in higher-risk groups, such as older Americans and people with medical conditions, it's not a viable option. And for those who live with at-risk individuals, we will continue to wear masks, keep our distance, and wash our hands frequently.
satisfied about COVID This is so common that while the pandemic emergency is officially over, the all-out response to the pandemic is also waning. This means fewer resources for infectious disease experts, scientific researchers, and governments to focus squarely on the coronavirus. So where do we go now?
„The risk is not as high, but it's still there,“ says Adjoa Smalls Manti, MD, DPhil, a New York City-based psychiatrist.
One of the reasons people are becoming apathetic about the coronavirus is because „there is no more immediate risk of death than when we didn't know much about it or there was no vaccine yet,“ says Smalls Manti. he said. „People are also happier because we don't see any reminders of the pandemic everywhere, and with restrictions on movement in restaurants, museums, and other gathering places.“ Stronger measures such as lockdowns and quarantines The same goes for reminders.
Many things have changed due to the coronavirus. Dr. Daniel Salmon, a vaccinologist at the Department of Global Health, said deaths and hospitalizations related to the virus are not as high as they once were, and health systems are not overwhelmed with patients. He earned a degree in Health, Behavior, and Society from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.
„But the coronavirus is still here,“ he said.
Another fuel for complacency is that most people have had the coronavirus or at least been vaccinated in the first series. That may be reassuring to some people, he continued, „but the fact is that over time, your protection against COVID-19 and your protection from the vaccine diminishes.“
Masking has been further normalized
Experts say the experience with COVID-19 is making more people aware of how respiratory viruses spread and taking precautions. Due to the new coronavirus, wearing masks in public places has become the norm. As a result, more and more people seem to be taking precautions against the threat of other viruses, such as colds, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
„I think people are being more cautious. People are washing their hands more often, they're more conscious of being in crowded spaces. Overall, there's more awareness of virus transmission.“ said Smallsmanti.
Individual risk tolerance also drives the use of protective measures.
„In my experience, people who are more anxious about things tend to be more anxious about COVID-19,“ Smalls-Manti said. As a result, they are more likely to moderate their behavior, avoid crowds, and practice social distancing. In contrast, there is also the „I'm okay“ group. These are people who believe their risk of contracting coronavirus is low and believe they do not have the same risk factors or do not need to take the same precautions.
A mix of optimism and pessimism?
Kausar Razmi Talat, MD, an infectious disease and global health expert at Johns Hopkins University, said that as we mark the fourth anniversary of the coronavirus pandemic, we must „see the glass half empty and half full.“ He says he is in a situation like this.
Our newfound agility, or ability to respond quickly, includes both new vaccine technologies and the FDA's response to the emergence of new coronavirus variants.
On the other hand, she said, we are collectively better at responding to crises than preparing for future ones. “We are bad at planning for the next coronavirus variant or the next pandemic.”
And the coronavirus is not contagious on its own. Talaat said influenza „is rampant right now,“ adding, „That's why it's so important to get vaccinated as much as possible.“ Americans can protect themselves from the JN1 coronavirus and can protect themselves from the flu. You can also receive a vaccine to prevent RSV if you are over 60 or have other medical conditions.
the future is uncertain
Antoine Flahor, MD, director of the Institute for Global Health at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, said the company's track record in responding to the coronavirus is quite good. “About 2,000 new variants of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes the novel coronavirus) have already appeared in the world, but the game is far from over.”
As for future threats, „we don't know whether one of the emerging variants will become more dangerous, escaping immunity and existing vaccines and causing a new pandemic,“ the lead author of the paper said. said author Flaholt. Commentary for June 2023“There is no time for complacency regarding the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Europe” (same magazine) lancet.
Flaholt said the public health response to the pandemic has been largely effective. „But perhaps we can do better. At least perform better against SARS-CoV-2 and all respiratory viruses that pose a huge burden to our society.“ He said improving indoor air quality could go a long way.
„We know from the pandemic that all respiratory viruses are transmitted almost exclusively through aerosolized particles when we breathe, talk, sing, cough, and sneeze in poorly ventilated, crowded indoor spaces. ” Flahau said. If you want to be better prepared, now is the time to take action. “The time has come to protect people from respiratory infections, and that means significantly improving indoor air quality.”
Talaat believes this is not the case, although he is still a little pessimistic about the future. if Public health emergencies like the coronavirus will occur again. when. „We need to be better prepared for the next pandemic. It's only a matter of time.“