Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker attend the opening night of Neil Simon’s ‘Plaza Suite’ on Broadway at the Hudson Theater on Monday (March 28) in New York City. Broderick and Parker have both tested positive for COVID-19. (Charles Sykes, Invision via AP)
Estimated reading time: 5-6 minutes
WASHINGTON — The United States gets its first taste of what the experience is COVID-19[feminine] The epidemic is during this new phase of coexistence with the virus, and the list of newly infected people is starred.
Cabinet Members, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Representatives from Broadway and the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut have all tested positive. Outbreaks at Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University have led to the return of mask requirements at those universities as officials seek quarantine space.
Known infections will likely only reveal the tip of the iceberg – with actors and politicians routinely being tested at work. Official case numbers are certainly well below the extent the virus has spread due to home testing and people with mild illness not bothering to get tested at all.
According to Ali Miqdad, professor of health measurement sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle, nationwide mask wearing is at its lowest level since April 2020. For every 100 infections, only seven have been recorded. in official statistics, according to the latest data from its model group. estimate. This means that a place like New York which averages 1,600 cases a day has a much higher true number of infections.
Miqdad expects the high level of American immunity that has built up from previous infections and vaccinations to protect the nation from a major boom.
“We will have infections here and there, but it won’t shut down the country,” Al-Miqdad said. ” Life must continue. We need to be vaccinated and strengthened. We have to protect the weak, but we have to get used to it. »
On Broadway, several ‘Plaza Suite’ comedy shows were later canceled Matthew Broderick tested positive, His wife and co-star, Sarah Jessica Parker, followed suit. Daniel Craig, too, was left out of the “Macbeth” revival.
Large indoor gatherings with optional masks have led to infections, with a high-profile party in Washington, D.C. now considered a high-profile event. Other clusters of infections outside of those routinely tested may go undetected, said Josh Michaud, co-director of global health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington.
“It’s harder to know what’s going on now than before,” Michaud said. The future is a bit more uncertain because we don’t have the same amount of information at our fingertips. “If you’re not an actor in a Broadway play or a politician, you might fall for an audition. »
Life must continue. We need to be vaccinated and strengthened. We have to protect the weak, but we have to get used to it.
Ali Miqdad, Professor of Health Metrics Sciences
Michaud said the public health response will vary from community to community, depending on what is happening locally.
“We’re fighting smaller fires instead of raging across the country and those small fires can be devastating,” Michoud said. “It leaves everyone to choose their own adventure when it comes to responding to epidemics and individual behaviors. »
In Washington, DC, the outbreak has been particularly notable – hitting several Cabinet secretaries and members of Congress as well as Mayor Muriel Bowser and the president of Georgetown University.
At least a dozen of those infections date back to dinner at the Gridiron Club, an annual event on the capital’s social calendar which took place on Saturdays for the first time in three years. The dinner is an example of the return to near-total normalcy across the country, which has led to an increase in positive tests, but not necessarily a similar increase in serious illnesses or hospitalizations.
Washington, DC, like much of the country, has softened its stance on the coronavirus in recent weeks. Bowser allowed vaccination powers to expire and indoor disguise, and the city’s health department stopped reporting daily virus numbers in early March. Attendees at the Gridiron Club dinner, which Bowser did not attend, were required to provide proof of vaccination, but otherwise no masking or social distancing protocols were observed.
Other key elements of the capital’s social calendar have also returned to normal. The city’s annual cherry blossom festival has been going on for weeks – with dozens of events tied to it, including a parade scheduled for Saturday.
In the midst of this general return to pre-pandemic behavior, there are a few cautious steps back. Georgetown University has announced it will reintroduce its indoor mask mandate amid rising infection numbers, including university president John DeGioia
Announcing the new restrictions, Georgetown University Director of Public Health Ranitt Mishouri called the high rate of infection “significant” – especially among undergraduates. “Fortunately, with the vast majority of our society aware of the vaccination, we are not seeing any cases involving serious illness,” Mishuri wrote.
Washington Chief of Health Dr. Lacandra Nisbet, in comments to reporters this week, cited the persistently low level of hospital admissions as evidence that vaccinations have been successful in reducing the severity of the disease.
Virus gauges in Washington have increased over the past month, according to the city’s health department. The weekly case rate per 100,000 population fell from 51 at the start of March to 110 at the end of March. But that remains well below the weekly case rate of 865 cases per 100,000 people reported in the second week of January during the omicron variable rush.
Nesbet said there are no immediate plans to bring back any of the expired virus protocols, but that is always an option in the future.
“We must remember that living with the virus does not mean forgetting it. It’s still there, it’s still making people sick and some are dying,” Michoud said. “If we are not prepared, we could quickly find ourselves in a bad situation. »
Contribute: Achraf Khalil
Pictures
Related stories
More stories that might interest you
–
–
