COVID-19 Cases in the US Rising Amid Spread of Contagious Variant; Philadelphia Brings Back Mask Mandate

COVID-19 cases are on the rise once more even though many Americans are eager to move on.

Increases are being seen in New York and other parts of the Northeast, with Philadelphia saying on Monday that it will restore mask mandate in public places.

US COVID-19 Cases Increase as BA.2 Spreads

Experts predict that any future boom of COVID-19 cases, caused by a subvariant of Omicron called BA.2, will be less harmful than earlier spikes in several respects. As a result, the country may react differently to a fresh wave of cases.

While there are hints of improvement in the Northeast, there is no evidence of the tremendous rise that occurred earlier this year. Many people have previously been infected by the omicron variant, giving them some protection against the present pandemic in addition to immunizations and booster doses.

Even if they acquire a less virulent infection, those who have been vaccinated and boosted have excellent protection against serious sickness. For those who do become infected, a new therapy, the Pfizer tablet is known as Paxlovid, reduces the risk of hospitalization or death by around 90%.

Because of the immunizations, booster doses, and therapies available, even if the number of cases increases, hospitalizations and fatalities are expected to decrease. For the time being, the White House is relying on booster injections and treatments rather than harsher protective measures like mask regulations or company closures to combat any fresh surge, The Hill reported.

Fauci: Weigh Your Personal Risk

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious doctor, said on Sunday that the growing incidence of coronavirus infections in the United States is not unusual and is not yet a cause for concern. There are 31,000 new cases each day on average across the country, up 3% from two weeks earlier.

However, some regions have witnessed far bigger increases, like New York City, where cases have increased by about 50% in the last two weeks, while they are still well below the peaks recorded during the winter Omicron surge.

The rise in cases "is not unexpected that you're going to see an upswing when you drawback on the mitigation approaches," Fauci added, citing the development of the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant BA.2 and the loosening of mask regulations and other social distancing measures, as per Medical Xpress.

Fauci did point out that, according to CDC data, COVID-19 levels in the community are low in most regions of the country, and he is optimistic that there will be no increase in hospitalizations or fatalities,

When it comes to coronavirus measures, the White House senior medical adviser said Americans must evaluate their age, vaccination status, and if they live with vulnerable people. Fauci's assessment of the pandemic's current stage contrasted sharply with his earlier, more severe concerns in 2020.

They also come as the now-dominant BA.2 variation, which is extremely infectious but less severe than earlier strains, spreads across the country. "While there is the worry that we are seeing a rise in instances," Fauci explained, "it's not surprising that you're going to find an uptick when you draw back on mitigating approaches," as per New York Post.

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