(Newer)
– In assessing the state of the pandemic in the USA, the Christian Science Monitor finds that something new is emerging in the country: a sense of cautious optimism. ‘This is mostly due to a sharp decline in the last few weeks, but there are also many potential problems on the horizon – including signs that the decline has stopped in business and the fear of what the New York Times call a “fourth wave.” Coverage:
- The decline: The US saw about 250,000 new cases a day in early January, and the figure dropped to about 54,000 a day at the end of February. CSM. The Times note a 35% drop in cases this month, plus a 31% drop in hospitalizations. Deaths also declined, though not as rapidly (16%), with 3,210 recorded on Wednesday.
- What does it mean? These statistics lead Apoorva Mandavilli of the Times to write, “Is this then? Is this the beginning of the end? After a year of being beaten by grim statistics and scolded for wanting human contact, many Americans feel that a long-promised deliverance is imminent is.” Mandavilli interviewed 21 scientists, and most thought the worst was behind us. “This summer, they said, life could start to look normal again.”
- A great qualifier: In sy New York Times newsletter, David Leonhardt draws attention to a possible worrying trend: the number of new cases has stopped declining in recent days in the US and the world. Jim Edwards of Insider too take note. ‘Big question: are the new fast-moving variants (UK, CA and NY) moving faster than the vaccines?’ he wonder.
- Fourth wave: These rapidly emerging variants are a major reason why most scientists who interviewed Mandavilli predicted a “fourth wave” of the virus. “We are essentially facing a pandemic within a pandemic,” said Adam Kucharski of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. However, they stressed that the wave could be prevented or at least dampened if Americans and US officials did not become complacent about the usual security protocols.
- Another good sign: Weekly cases of COVID in US nursing homes have dropped a staggering 89% since December due to vaccinations, reports report USA Today. This exceeds the national decline by a wide margin.
- Summary: ‘Just stay there a little longer,’ says Dr Ashleigh Tuite of the University of Toronto Times. “There is a lot of optimism and hope, but I think we need to be prepared that the next few months are likely to remain difficult.” Or like Raemecca Evans, who lost her restaurant job in Cincinnati due to the pandemic, it to the CSM: “I mean, it got better.” But “for me, it’s a kind of touch.”
(Read more coronavirus stories.)