A decline in COVID-19 cases in the United States in recent weeks has given overwhelmed hospitals some relief, but administrators brace for another possible spike as the winter chill puts people in interiors.
Health experts say the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic has reached its peak in the United States, especially in the Southeast, where hospitals were pushed to the limit a few weeks ago. But many states in the north continue to struggle with an increase in cases, and what winter holds is unclear.
Among the unknown factors are how the flu season could affect the availability of staff in hospitals and whether those who have refused to get vaccinated will change their minds.
An estimated 70 million people in the United States eligible to be vaccinated have not done so, providing fertile ground for the spread of the contagious delta variant of the coronavirus.
“If you are not vaccinated or do not have protection from natural infection, the virus is going to find you,” warned Mike Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Studies and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
Nationwide, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has fallen to about 75,000, compared to more than 93,000 in early September.
The number of new cases stands at about 112,000 a day on average, a drop of a third in the last two and a half weeks.
Deaths also appear to be on the decline, averaging 1,900 a day compared to more than 2,000 a week ago, although the United States on Friday approached the painful milestone of 700,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
The decline in the summer outbreak has been attributed to increased use of masks and more people vaccinated.
The decrease in the numbers could also be due to the fact that the virus has already passed through susceptible people and is running out of people to infect in some areas.
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