Hong Kong’s demise toll per capita, as soon as far decrease than these of Western nations, is not distinctive. A month in the past, the Covid-19 demise price within the U.S. was 90 instances as excessive as that of Hong Kong. By Monday, the cumulative U.S. toll was three and a half instances as excessive as Hong Kong’s.
Because the U.S. braces for a possible new wave and China battles its greatest outbreak in two years, scientists want to Hong Kong for clues about the way forward for the pandemic.
One large takeaway: Within the period of Omicron and BA.2 — an much more infectious subvariant — vaccinating as many older individuals as attainable ought to be the highest precedence, specialists mentioned.
In Hong Kong, a fixation on “zero Covid” — shared with mainland China — meant that vaccination wasn’t a precedence, and lots of older individuals fell prey to misinformation in regards to the security of the vaccines. Earlier than Omicron surged, lower than 1 / 4 of individuals age 80 and over had been given two doses.
That lesson is most urgent for China, the place vaccination in older age teams seems to be lagging and there’s little immunity from earlier infections. Nevertheless it’s additionally vital for the U.S., the place subpar vaccination and booster charges in older individuals have left scientists involved a few potential surge of BA.2 circumstances. Greater than a 3rd of Individuals 65 and over haven’t gotten a booster shot.
Nevertheless, scientists don’t anticipate the U.S. to face almost as critical a scenario within the coming months as Hong Kong did, partly as a result of so many extra Individuals had been contaminated by the coronavirus throughout earlier waves.
“Within the U.S., case declines are shedding momentum and beginning to plateau,” writes the epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina. “There could even be indicators of accelerating developments within the Northeast. However, for now, many pockets nonetheless have low transmission. Get pleasure from it! And put together for the opportunity of placing your masks on if wanted. That is additionally the proper time to get boosted, get vaccinated and order your second set of free antigen assessments.”
New York’s pandemic timeline
On March 1, 2020, New Yorkers had no thought what was in retailer.
The governor of New York mentioned on that day that there can be “group unfold” of the coronavirus however that there was “no purpose for concern.” The mayor of New York Metropolis mentioned that the virus “might be wherever” however instructed residents to go about their regular lives. It sounded affordable.
Everybody is aware of what rapidly unfolded: A mighty was metropolis silenced. There have been hundreds of deaths, our bodies stacked in freezer vans and half 1,000,000 individuals out of labor.
Two years and 40,000 deaths later, rips and rifts stay within the social material. One thing has been misplaced, and but the dire predictions of a metropolis broken past restore have been proved improper.
As Plague Yr 3 dawns, The New York Occasions seemed again on the pandemic within the metropolis. An infection charges have plummeted, however the arrival of a brand new subvariant can be a reminder that the pandemic is just not over. We all know that there is no such thing as a going again to “earlier than.”
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What you’re doing
The masks mandate at my 12-year-old daughter’s college was lifted yesterday. She was a little bit fearful she’d be the one one nonetheless carrying a masks, not as a result of carrying a masks has been a burden to her however as a result of no seventh grader likes to face out. She cheered up at drop-off when she realized a overwhelming majority of youngsters had been nonetheless carrying masks. On the finish of the day she reported nothing a lot had modified; the youngsters who had been carrying their masks appropriately all yr are nonetheless carrying them, and the youngsters who had been carrying them as chin straps at the moment are letting their chins fly free.
— Liz, Waco, Texas
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Angela Jimenez compiled pictures for this briefing.
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