The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most important moments in recent human history. It greatly affected global economies, changed the way we attended school, and permanently altered society as a whole. Recently, many countries have been returning to life the way it was before the pandemic, as it is not seen as a worldwide health concern anymore. However, some areas, including highly populated parts of the United States, have seen a surprising growth in COVID cases once again.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, coronavirus hospitalizations have been on an upwards trend since late July. They have gone up by 21% nationwide, and by over 30% in numerous states, including Indiana. In many areas, including major cities such as Houston, Texas, schools and hospitals are bringing back mask mandates and encouraging vaccinations.
While infection rates are increasing again, a new variant of the coronavirus is also emerging. This variant is known as BA.2.86, but it is commonly referred to as the Pirola variant. It has been found that those infected with the Pirola variant do not experience more severe symptoms, but the strain is more infectious than others. However, updated vaccines are already being developed and are being sent to pharmacies that can effectively fight against the Pirola variant.
Despite the rise in COVID cases, multiple trusted experts have stated that the public health concern will not be as severe as previous waves of the virus. In an interview with the BBC, Dr. Anthony Fauci was quoted as saying, “I doubt very seriously whether you’re going to see the hospital and death surge that we’ve seen in the past even if we get a surge of infections, because there’s enough fundamental, community-level protection.” Despite no longer being the director of the NIAID, Dr. Fauci is still a very knowledgeable expert on the coronavirus, and his work was essential to protecting millions of Americans during the pandemic.
In a situation like this, it is very important to remember how to stay protected from the coronavirus. Many high-quality face masks are available to the public, as are vaccinations, some of which are newly developed to defend against new variants of COVID. As long as everyone takes this situation seriously and protects themselves and others, we can reach a state in which the coronavirus truly is no longer a major public health concern.
