New Covid cases seem to be dwindling across the nation

[pandr32]

As the result there is a push to relax requirements that protect.

Are cases really dwindling? Are we being snookered?

Many deaths are being reported and some suggest that makes sense because those cases have been infected earlier. Huh?

At home test kits have been sent out all over. There is no requirement to report positive cases, just some encouragement. Doctors and clinics may be required but us at-home folk and businesses may not wish to report the news of infections. Lots of reasons to keep it quiet and in many cases likely because it is not required. People stay home a few days and usually stay out of the hospital because Omicron has meant less hospitalized cases than Delta. No record if we don't report and don't go to emergency.

We are not seeing the end of the latest wave unless our metric is officially counted cases.

Am I wrong?

[Spider Jerusalem]

1. They'll probably go back up again with mask mandates being relaxed (prematurely)

[BannonsLiver]

2. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Plenty of pandemic left, I’m sure.

[agingdem]

8. and spring break is a few weeks away..

college kids hitting the beaches and the bars en masse...and then bringing the variant/variants back to campus...I predict a spike sometime in late March..that been the pattern for the last two "breaks"...this time less fear and more kids...

[BannonsLiver]

9. You may be right! Good luck!

[marmar]

3. Deaths always lag case numbers.

[Tetrachloride]

4. This is the type of worst overconfidence. A little knowledge is dangerous

It’s like driving in snow at the start of winter in that —a great many people have forgotten to slow down.

Pandemic overconfidence is far more ingrained now.

[pandr32]

10. Good analogy

[Cairycat]

5. They are dwindling as omicron recedes, but

I think they'll go up again with the next variant. The relaxation will make it hard to convince people to mask up, test, report.

Iowa has pretty much outlawed mask mandates. When I go to the grocery store, maybe 10-20% masking. In the elementary schools where I work days, maybe 25% of kids, about the same for teachers and paras (seems to be related to age). The vax rate for elementary age kids is less than 20% in my county

I suspect also that there are a lot of people who get covid and don't report, and then just go to work as usual, because of lack of sick leave or pressure not to use it.

[pandr32]

11. But are numbers really dwindling?

The new variant that is making huge gains elsewhere in the world is here. It is an Omicron variant. People are still getting infections and suffering with them without reporting.
We can't test for the new variant if people aren't reporting cases.
The media gets to report a rosey outlook and it is a false flag.

[moondust]

6. Hard to say.

Long before home test kits, in May 2020 Rebekah Jones was fired from the Florida Department of Health "due to her refusal to hide COVID-19 data." Would anybody be surprised to learn that other red states have been fudging their numbers so they can "return to normal" (and watch people die)?

By the way, she is running against Matt Gaetz in 2022.

[pandr32]

12. At home testing is helping this happen.

[moondust]

13. No doubt.

Probably lots and lots of people not reporting positive test results--in addition to potentially fudged numbers, etc.

[Tomconroy]

7. Cases are declining. New hospitalizations trail cases and they too

are declining. That's a stat that can't be faked. As is wastewater Covid presence. After an enormous spike Boston wastewater Covid levels are back to pre Omicron. Definitely can't fake that stat.

[pandr32]

15. I appreciate your comment

I looked it up and found that wastewater testing isn't considered a reliable means to predict cases--just that it adds data to other indicators. Not only that, not all states, counties and cities do this. Funding is an issue in some places and likely Republicans.

[BigmanPigman]

14. We'll continue the pattern and will see a new variant in

about 4 months. It may be less severe but who knows. A lot of the people on the planet haven't been vaxxed allowing more variants to form.

[pandr32]

16. I am afraid you are correct

Even if cases are being under-counted now in order to paint a pretty picture a new variant rise will be pretty hard to disguise in the coming months. Spring break will likely be a problem.

[Silent3]

17. I imagine Omicron has snagged nearly everyone unvaxxed and vulnerable by now

So what happens next probably depends completely on the random nature of variants. The general trend historically is toward less virulent/more contagious, but that's hardly guaranteed. Since Omicron was way up on the scale for contagiousness, hopefully less-virulent is all we get next.

[Renew Deal]

20. Vaxxed and unvaxxed

I know a lot of people that caught Omicron and many of them were vaxxed and some were boosted.

[pandr32]

21. Yup

That's the maddening part. You can get fully vaccinated, take precautions while out and about, and still get it. It makes it so-oooo hard to be nice to anti-vaxxer idiots--even when they are relatives.

[Renew Deal]

23. The good news is that I don't personally know anyone that died this time.

[pandr32]

24. That's a huge plus

I can't say the same.
Hopefully, you will still be able to make that claim in the future.

[Poiuyt]

18. Fauci Says 'Full Blown' Pandemic Phase Is Ending

February 8, 2022 at 8:03 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 157 Comments

Dr. Anthony Fauci told the Financial Times that the United States is heading out of the “full blown” pandemic phase of Covid-19, as he predicted a combination of vaccinations, treatments and prior infection would soon make the virus more manageable.

Fauci added that there would be an end to all pandemic-related restrictions in the coming months including mandatory wearing of masks.

Said Fauci: “As we get out of the full-blown pandemic phase of Covid-19, which we are certainly heading out of, these decisions will increasingly be made on a local level rather than centrally decided or mandated. There will also be more people making their own decisions on how they want to deal with the virus.”

https://politicalwire.com/2022/02/08/fauci-says-full-blown-pandemic-phase-is-ending/

[Renew Deal]

19. I know A LOT of people that were positive in December and January.

I'm not hearing about nearly as many cases in the last 3 weeks or so. So anecdotally, yes, cases are going down.

[pandr32]

22. I hope so

Not here, really though. There are so many unvaccinated people.

[Tree Lady]

25. I asked my daughter what her company

With 300 employees was going to do in CA when mask mandate lifted, They did really well for almost a year and a half then last June CA lifted masks and in two weeks they went from zero cases to 30 and started tested everyone weekly.

She said even though they are lifting it next week, they also said if anyone is around someone positive they have to stay home for 5 days. So they are keeping employees wearing a mask to keep them at work.

[pandr32]

26. That's good news

We are nowhere near the time we should relax.