The U.S. may be heading into another COVID-19 surge, with cases rising nationally and in most states after a two-month decline.
FILE - A sign advising visitors to don face coverings stands outside the main entrance to UCHealth University of Colorado hospital Friday, April 1, 2022, in Aurora, Colo. COVID cases are starting to rise again in the United States, with numbers up in most states and up steeply in several. One expert says he expects more of a bump than the monstrous surge of the first omicron wave, but another says its unclear how high the curve will rise and it may be more like a hill.
No one expects a peak nearly as high as the last one, when the contagious omicron version of the coronavirus ripped through the population.that’s thought to be about 30% more contagious – will wash across the nation. They worry that hospitalizations, which are already ticking up in some parts of the Northeast, will rise in a growing number of states in the coming weeks.
But Ray said the U.S. could wind up looking like Europe, where the BA.2 surge was “substantial" in some places that had comparable levels of immunity. “We could have a substantial surge here,” he said.Both experts said BA.2 will move through the country gradually. The Northeast has been hit hardest so far — with more than 90% of new infections caused by BA.2 last week compared with 86% nationally.
Officials credit high vaccination rates. State statistics show 99% of Rhode Island adults are at least partially vaccinated and 48% have gotten the booster dose that scientists say is key in protecting against severe illness with omicron. As the wave moves across the country, experts said states with low rates of vaccination may face substantially more infections and severe cases that wind up in the hospital.
Lynne Richmond, a 59-year-old breast cancer survivor who lives in Silver Spring, Md., said she plans to get her second booster and keep wearing her mask in public as cases rise in her state and nearby Washington, D.C.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Pfizer says COVID-19 booster raises antibody protection in children 5-11A booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine sparked a strong immune response in children ages 5 to 11, the companies jointly announced on Thursday.
Read more »
Bay Area Houses Of Worship Set For Large Celebrations Without COVID-19 RestrictionsWith Passover, Easter and Ramadan happening all at once, houses of worship across the Bay Area are ready for large gatherings for the first time since the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.
Read more »
Uptick in LA County COVID-19 cases raises concerns for upcoming Easter, Passover, Ramadan gatheringsCOVID-19 cases have ticked up slightly in L.A. County. This comes as millions of people plan Easter, Passover and Ramadan gatherings, raising concerns about a possible surge in cases.
Read more »
It’s not over: COVID-19 cases are on the rise again in USExperts warn that the coming wave – caused by a mutant called BA.2 that’s thought to be about 30% more contagious – will wash across the nation and push up hospitalizations in a growing number of states in the coming weeks
Read more »
Oakland Unified School District to Drop COVID-19 Mask Mandate in AprilThe Oakland Unified School District announced Friday its mask mandate will officially end on Monday, April 25.
Read more »
Sinopharm to start clinical trials of Omicron specific Covid-19 vaccinesAs China struggles to contain the spread of Covid-19, it's scientists race against time to upgrade existing vaccines.
Read more »