As winter approaches and the chilly winds begin to howl, virus activity in the United States escalates. Before the frosted breaths of winter envelop the nation, most states are reporting high or increasing levels of winter virus activity. The situation is so stark that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that the peak is yet to come.
Parents are exercising every means to keep their children healthy, from vaccinations to morning doses of orange juice. Unfortunately, the specter of virus season renders these efforts insufficient. The ideal could be for the children to don masks again, but the challenge resides in maintaining health and preventing the spread.
In a plea for resolute public vigilance, the CDC advises hand-washing and avoidance of public places when ill. This unsolicited illness is not your burden alone to bear, but rather apostle you unwillingly play in transmitting it to your fellow citizens. Be a good corporate citizen, a good citizen of the world, by not adding fuel to the rising infection figures.
As holiday travel looms on the horizon, the Southern part of the country reports high infection rates. Levels are on the rise nation-wide, with COVID wastewater levels appearing particularly high in the Midwest. These levels indicate the presence of the virus in wastewater and often serve as a predictive indicator for future cases.
Concerns are ripe about hospital capacity and emergency-room density amidst the escalating virus rates. There have been stories of individuals seeking care but unable to receive it due to overwhelmed ICUs and ERs. Such instances bring back bleak memories of the health-care sector strained to its breaking point during the pandemic. In current times, the dilemma does not only concern COVID-19, but also the respiratory viruses such as the flu and the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), both of which have been long-standing health adversaries. Their confluence with COVID-19 amplifies the overall stress on the healthcare system.
If you still haven't received the vaccine, be it for the flu or COVID-19, the CDC advises to make haste and get inoculated. Even though the virus peak is yet to come, preventative measures remain the first line of defense in the escalating winter virus battle.
