We’re close to entering into a covid winter, and people worldwide are freaking out at the thought that the nightmare in the middle of which we are will become more and more frightening.
Axios online publication notes that this winter will not be as harsh as we might expect. This is pretty important because last winter was the deadliest phase of this nightmarish pandemic.
A lot of Americans are braced for cold weather to once again usher in a surge in cases and deaths.
This winter will not be as harsh as the last one
The same online publication notes that there are a lot of reasons for which we can say that this year will not be as bad as the past one.
“I sort of think we’re in a version of what our reality is going to be for the foreseeable future.”
This is what Bob Wachter, chairman of the University of California, San Francisco Department of Medicine, told Axios.
“Maybe it gets 10 or 20% better, maybe it gets 10 or 20% worse. But I can’t see it getting 90% better or 90% worse,” he said.
It’s also worth noting that there are a lot of Americans who have been vaccinated — some even boosted — or have some natural immunity after having covid 19. And vaccines for kids are expected soon as well, as the same online publication notes.
The same article notes that this should protect against the sort of wide resurgences of severe illness the U.S. experienced last winter – this is what Justin Lessler, who helps run the University of North Carolina’s covid 19 Scenario Modeling Hub said.
The models predict a steady drop in the cases through March.
It’s possible that another new variant will emerge, but:
“even if we do see some resurgences due to a more transmissible variant or people relaxing in their behaviors, I’d be very surprised if we saw surges to the level of last winter,” Lessler said.
Stay tuned for more news.
