Paraphrasing Pharyngula, the plague continues. We have many choices of on-going plagues, but the one I am thinking of would be COVID-19. The J.1 variant seems to be the dominant strain. The good news is that the prior vaccinations seem to work well against the J.1 variant. The bad news is that most of the country (and the world) are treating COVID as over. Vaccination rates are way down and almos tno one is masking. Testing for COVID is now done mostly at home or not at all, so how do we know that COVID infections are up? Wastewater testing. Although the CDC has stopped testing individuals, there is still regular testing for microbes in the wastewater of cities and towns. From this, we know that many of the "excess deaths" (current death rate minus the pre-COVID death rate) are due to COVID. Influenza (flu) and RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) are measured at high rates, but COVID is the killer. Research is showing that COVID is more than a viral infection, it leaves long-term organ damage, the symptoms of which we are starting to call "long COVID". A few people have serious cases leaving them incapacitated, but most people have symptoms such as long-term exhaustion or "brain fog".
I have kept up my vaccinations, adding RSV and seasonal flu vaccinations to the string of COVID vaccinations. I mask on airplanes and often in airport waiting areas. But I confess that I am pretty lassaiz faire the rests of the time. I have not been masking in retail establishments but the numbers are starting to concern me, and I may start masking in stores.
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