Scoop, of the non-ice-cream variety

[edschweppe]

Hey, I scooped the Boston Globe! Back on Thursday, I noted that not only were the MWRA COVID-19 wastewater levels trending upward, but that the state's COVID hospitalization counts were rising. Today, the Globe (finally) noticed the same thing:

Hospitalizations associated with COVID-19 have risen about 30 percent in Massachusetts since hitting a low point on July 13, marking the end of a long downward trend that began in January.

The pattern matches a national increase. From June 24 through July 22, COVID hospitalizations increased by 11 percent, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The growing number of hospitalizations in the state, paired with the highest levels of coronavirus in waste water since March, raise the question of whether we are seeing the start of a late summer surge.

Experts say it is too soon to know.

Both measures are lower than they were at this time last year and far below those seen during the 2021-2022 Omicron surge, when hospitalizations in the state soared above 3,000. Last week, Massachusetts reported that 130 people were hospitalized with COVID-19.

"We look back to when Omicron came in, it happened overnight," said Dr. David Hamer, a professor of global health and medicine at Boston University and an attending physician at Boston Medical Center. "In a two to four week period we went from very few cases to nearly all being related to Omicron."

[ ... ]

According to the Department of Public Health, in the last two weeks, the average age of patients who died from COVID-19 was 84.

Therefore, experts recommend that people in high-risk groups pay attention to the uptick and continue taking precautions.

"If they're going to be in public places with inadequate ventilation, in buses, trains, or in other public places like supermarkets, bars, restaurants, [wearing masks] is crucial," Hamer said, "People should also consider getting a booster, especially if this small wave increases."

I suppose I should be glad that I'm not the only one unsure of the future. But I sure as hell don't have good feelings about the fall and winter ...