As predicted by covid variant tracker nerds on twitter in recent weeks, JN.1 is exploding. A 40% increase in covid cases since last week. Most sequences coming in to variant trackers are JN.1.
The biobot chart shows the last six months, if you zoom out we are at or approaching covid levels not seen since last winter, so not totally unexpected… but the CDC expects cases to peak in February. However JPWieland predicts it will peak after christmas due to the rapid growth of JN.1.
There are also outlier cities in Europe showing more covid in wastewater than ever measured during the pandemic. Canada isn’t doing much better. The UK isn’t doing well either.
Along with covid, flu and RSV are also hitting pretty hard at the same time, especially in the South, with a touch of mystery pneumonia in various places around the world as a treat.
Thankfully the latest vaccine helps against this variant. Unfortunatly vaccine uptake rates are abysmal now because capitalism.
I’m mainly still posting about covid out of anxiety and watching the health of friends and family who have been infected and “were fine” slowly deteriorate.
Good luck, everyone.
EDIT:
The CDC director is recommending wearing masks. So things will probably get pretty bad…
Very understandable sentiment. But the bare minimum is better than nothing and most people won’t even do that…
I never stopped wearing masks and everyday run into people that claim they were feeing sick, but used an expired rapid tests to absolve themselves. In reality those people could and should still wear a mask or stay the fuck home. It could still be COVID or any other illness, all of which are best avoided.
I never stopped caring because I can’t afford too, I have my own personal/medical reasons and I act cased on those. I just wish more people cared because it’s still a problem, not because they think I just think it’s a problem.
This isn’t directed at you in particular because I don’t know how you live your life, but I do understand the feelings you describe here. It’s extremely disheartening to feel like the end is never coming, especially when you tried soooo hard.
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if you won’t mask you’re just another threat the rest of us who can’t afford to stop caring have to contend with.
there is no compelling reason not to mask. none at all.
Yeah, wasn’t my intent to label you that way either. The long term effects should worry everyone tho!
So much of our ability to deal with this was hindered by systemic shortcomings and bad messaging, so I try not to blame individuals unless they are actively being a detriment.
I wish there was a better answer too, but appreciate the well wishes.
Most people I know stopped masking.
But on top of getting vaccinated, using anti-viral nasal sprays might improve your odds of avoiding the worst consequences of covid.
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Any chance you could share what you use?
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Thanks comrade.
Good luck out there.
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I get where you’re coming from. And thank you for being willing to wear a mask if you feel sick. COVID will likely continue to get less and less asymptomatically spread, hopefully. It’s not a really selected for trait now that it’s endemic in our global population. At least that’s what a lot of the virologists and immunologists I read have to say.