Average daily deaths in the U.S. from the coronavirus are starting to decline, prompting cautious hope that the deadliest part of the latest wave fueled by the highly transmissible omicron variant is over.
Still, the number remains elevated. More than 2,000 people per day are dying from the coronavirus on average, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Omicron cases are declining, and we are all cautiously optimistic about the trajectory we are on,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said at a press briefing this week. “Things are moving in the right direction, but we want to remain vigilant to do all we can so that this trajectory continues.”
Walensky stressed that hospitalization rates and hospital capacity will be important COVID-19 metrics to monitor going forward. She said the agency would “soon” put out new, “relevant” guidance.
“We are assessing the most important factors based on where we are in the pandemic, and we'll soon put guidance in place that is relevant and encourages prevention measures when they are most needed to protect public health and our hospitals,” Walensky said.
The move comes after several – mostly Democratic – states have made plans to drop their mask mandates, citing declining cases and hospitalizations.
While pressure grows for the CDC to help states chart a path into a “new phase” of COVID-19, some are going at it alone. California on Thursday announced what appears to be the first state COVID-19 response plan intended to guide a shift toward living with the coronavirus.
“We move out of the pandemic phase, and we move into a phase which should allow confidence that we are not walking away – that we're taking the lessons learned, and we're leaning into the future,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a press conference.
The plan includes steps like monitoring data and frontline conditions to ensure the state is “ready to respond to new and emerging variants and changing conditions.” It stresses maintaining wastewater surveillance systems and sequencing at least 10% of positive COVID-19 test specimens to see how the virus changes. It also “strongly” recommends masking in public indoor settings but doesn’t require it.
The plan does not provide specific metrics that would trigger the implementation of mitigation measures like mask wearing.
It does include some specific goals, like being able to add 3,000 medical workers to facilities across the state within two-three weeks if needed and stockpiling 75 million masks.
“It is clear the virus will remain with us for some time, if not forever,” the plan states. “It is less clear how often and how much it will continue to impact our health and well-being. However, we know what works and have built the necessary tools over the last two years that allows us to learn and hone our defenses to this virus as it evolves.”
The plan highlights a growing desire among state leaders to chart paths into a new phase of the pandemic as coronavirus cases fall.
The coronavirus pandemic is proof, if any more were needed, that vaccination is critical to global security. Getting our economies and societies working again requires everyone to be safe from COVID-19 and an effective and widely distributed vaccine will be a critical contributor to this.
The progress, collaboration, partnerships and information that is generated could in the long-term strengthen support for existing vaccination programmes. At the same time, there is a risk that vaccination programmes that are not directly COVID-19-related will suffer as attention and resources are siphoned into novel coronavirus efforts.
These are immensely challenging times for people, communities and countries all over the world. In the midst of the crisis it can be difficult to see a path forward. But with this pandemic there are opportunities for some positive outcomes for global health, the most important being that we may be much, much better prepared next time.
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