The Road goes ever on and on ... Day 351 (851)

Not too much coronavirus news out there this morning. Are we becoming numb to it all or saying that if I can't see it, it can't see me? Someone in a group to which I belong and which is scheduling an indoor potluck that will involve sitting shoulder to shoulder on couches while eating and not knowing anyone's vaccination status responded, "I love that some normal life has returned." Her normal and mine are obviously not the same. If it were outdoors, on picnic tables or eating sitting on the grass, I would think about going. But not indoors, not with limited space, not with people who may or may not be vaccinated. IIWTR? Is it worth the risk? Not for me. 

Over the last two weeks, cases have increased in 38 US states. The largest increases have been in states with the lowest vaccination rates. Unvaccinated people may have had covid, but vaccines offer greater protection than infections do. Coronavirus immunity seems to wane faster than immunity to other viruses. Unfortunately, there is no systematically collected data to show how common reinfection really is. Hospitalizations are up in 43 states. There are over 40,000 people in hospital for the first time since the end of February, and the slope of the ascent is increasing. Hospitalizations are the best indicator of covid spread given the undercounting in cases caused by home testing. 

The BA.5 subvariant has passed the peak of BA.2 variants and continues to rise. Some breakthrough infections are severe despite the vaccine's generally reducing the severity of cases. It is also possible to get long covid after mild or asymptomatic cases. Animal studies are showing BA.5 to be more severe than earlier Omicron variants, but that may not be the case in humans. (I'd cross my fingers except for how difficult typing would be then.)

And some of the news just makes for some head-scratching. Portugal is one of the most vaccinated countries in the EU yet cases, hospitalizations, and deaths all rose significantly with Omicron. South Africa, with more immunity from infections than vaccinations, yet while cases rose, hospitalizations and deaths stayed low. The general population is younger, which may be a factor.