BA.5 Wave
By far the most transmissible Omron variant, BA.5, is causing a new wave of cases, re-infections and hospitalizations across the country. Some are calling it the “invisible wave” because it doesn’t register in some of the metrics we use to track disease.
For example, the daily number of reported cases in the US has remained stable at around 100,000 since mid-May, but experts say the number is low because so many people are testing at home.
The CDC estimated yesterday that the subvariant is now responsible for more than 60 percent of all new infections in the country. Experts say it appears to be able to ward off some antibodies from past infections and vaccines, though they say there is no evidence it causes more serious disease.
In New York City, the subvariant has helped raise the test positivity rate to 15 percent, a level not seen since January, and the number of hospitalizations is rising. Still, people in the city and across the country are greeting the latest wave with collective shrugs.
Many Americans have turned their attention away from the pandemic. Mask mandates have been removed in many states and cities, and most travelers no longer wear masks. To counter the latest wave, federal officials are considering expanding eligibility for second coronavirus booster shots to adults under 50, according to several people familiar with the thinking. But the decision will need to be made by the FDA and CDC.
On a personal note, this latest wave hit home.
I recently tested positive for COVID for the first time and spent a few days horizontally on the couch. It felt strange to experience a disease that I have hidden for years. Along with the fever and pain in my chest, the familiar concerns of millions of Americans dawned on me: How much harm is it doing to my body? Did I unintentionally infect someone? Will I have a long covid?
I’ve mostly recovered, thanks to a powerful vaccine and Instacart shoppers. But I have scrambled over the past few days to prepare for another viral outbreak.
New York City yesterday released a new batch of 2,500 doses of the GeneOS vaccine, the only vaccine developed for monkeypox. I tried to register for a shot, but the website crashed almost immediately.
The blank screen and error message felt like an encapsulation of the country’s lack of effort in fighting the new outbreak. Monkeypox vaccines are in short supply and will last for months. Tests won’t be ready until sometime this month, despite the weeks-long outbreak. The case number – currently 929 in the US – is almost certainly a low number because our surveillance is uneven, at best. In many ways, it seems as though we are repeating our mistakes with the coronavirus pandemic.
After 40 minutes of refreshing the vaccine website, I finally managed to make an appointment. I stood in line for over an hour today waiting for the shot.
Double masking at the clinic, as the sixth wave of Covid in New York, receiving a monkeypox vaccine, felt… real. But despite the shortcomings of the rollout, I was also fortunate enough to have access to the vaccine.
As monkeypox spreads, we’ll be taking a close look at both outbreaks in the Coronavirus newsletter – and seeing if a reaction to one can inform the other.
The new outbreak has also made us think about the lessons we learned (or not) from the coronavirus pandemic and how we will respond to future disease outbreaks. So today we’re asking readers for the lessons they’ve learned, and their advice for surviving the next pandemic, below.
It affects the influential group of restaurateurs who own coveted restaurants in the hearts of big cities where office workers have fled – along with their corporate spending accounts. And it comes as the cost of doing business, especially in dense urban areas, is rising.
According to data from OpenTable, lunch reservations at restaurants with average checks of more than $50 were significantly lower in the first four months of this year than in the same period of 2019. They fell in Washington (38 percent), New York City (38 percent), San Diego (42 percent), Philadelphia (54 percent) and Chicago (58 percent).
Instead, restaurant lunches are thriving in less fancy dining rooms across the country, particularly in suburban and residential city neighborhoods where many Americans work during the pandemic.
The trend raises concerns about the viability of independent restaurants in large cities against the homogeneous influence of corporate chains. Some are closed for lunch, despite even demanding dinner reservations. Many operators say that rising costs and labor shortage make the low-priced lunch menus definitely a money crunch.
“With this hybrid weekday, is Wednesday the new Monday, or is Thursday the new Friday?” Asked a San Francisco restaurant owner who hasn’t brought back lunch. “If I can crack that code, I might have a chance.”
Lessons for the next pandemic
When we look back on the coronavirus pandemic, there are a lot of mistakes. Leaders initially dismissed masking as a preventive measure, testing was a complete mess, and doctors and nurses spent months without the necessary equipment to combat the disease.
Plus, we’ve learned a lot about how to avoid the plague. With that in mind, The New York Times is collecting advice from readers for the next pandemic.
We’re asking: What do you wish you knew in the beginning? What would you have done differently? And what advice would you have for future generations who may be about to experience a pandemic?
We’d love to hear your advice, no matter how big or small. If you would like to participate, you can fill out this form here. We may use your feedback in an upcoming newsletter or other Times projects.
what else are we following
what are you doing
I am a molecular technician in one of the largest COVID-19 testing laboratories in the country. We can see that when cases start to rise again, and it can be scary to compare it to the world around us – people going to clubs, traveling, dating without social distancing. Kovid-19 is not gone, people care less about it. I’ve only loosened my “bubble” a little since the early days of quarantine. I’ve stopped dating altogether, because many men are unwilling to take even the most basic precautions on a first date. I still wear masks in stores. I no longer travel by air. I have been fully vaccinated, and I test myself often. All these precautions, and I got covid this year too. I’m afraid it’s going to take a special virus, lethal version, before people start taking it seriously again.
– Rowan Day, Bellingham, Wash.
Tell us how you are dealing with the pandemic. Send us a feedback here, and we may feature it in an upcoming newsletter.
Sign up here to receive the briefing by email.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back on Friday – Jonathan
Email your thoughts to briefings@nytimes.com.