U.S. sees COVID resurgence as JN.1 variant becomes dominant

The United States is witnessing a renewed spike in COVID-19 infections due to festive gatherings and a novel variant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the highest level of wastewater viral activity since the omicron onslaught of the previous year. Concurrently, a is emerging as the most prevalent variant, accounting for about 44 percent of nationwide infections by mid-December, a noteworthy increase from the 7 percent figure noted in late November. Although the number of infections is climbing, healthcare professionals affirm hospitals have adequate capacity, and a large proportion of cases are relatively mild. Experts suggest that wastewater presents a more precise indication of infection level because the CDC is unable to track the precise number of cases given the prevalence of home testing or non-testing. Viral activity is most pronounced in the Midwest, with 29,000 hospitalizations recorded in the week preceding Christmas, compared to 39,000 in 2022. Over the same interval, there has been a 12 percent escalation in emergency department visits week on week. Since Thanksgiving, by average, about 1,400 persons perish weekly due to COVID-19. The steady increase in numbers throughout the winter is prompting some hospitals to take precautionary steps. However, there is concern for the most vulnerable as current vaccination rates for the latest COVID-19 vaccination shot remaining disappointingly low; only about 19 percent of adults have received the updated jab. The highest risk of hospitalization is borne by “more fragile people, the people who are not vaccinated with the latest updated vaccine,” warns William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The CDC report issued on Dec. 22 emphasizes that the virus is still “a serious public health threat,” particularly for older adults, infants, immunocompromised individuals, people with chronic conditions, and expectant women. Of particular concern is the low uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations among long-term care facility residents, with only about a third being up-to-date with their jabs according to a recent CDC report. Efforts to improve vaccination rates in the nursing home sector are underway, including discussions between officials from the Department of Health and Human Services and industry leaders, to eliminate logistical barriers to vaccine uptake. Additionally, Schaffner notes that the current surge in viral activity is partly due to holiday gatherings, cold weather increasing indoor congregation, greater transmissibility of the latest variant, and potential lack of isolation in symptomatic individuals. With the curtailing of free COVID-19 testing by the federal government at the end of the public health emergency, the burden of buying tests and the reluctance to self-isolate may contribute to COVID-19's continued spread.