"COVID will likely reach levels in December not yet seen this year, combining with surges of flu, RSV, and other pathogens for a winter not so different from last year’s “tripledemic,” experts say.
"Raj Rajnarayanan, assistant dean of research and associate professor at the New York Institute of Technology campus in Jonesboro, Ark., told Fortune that the U.S. is a 'sitting duck' in the face of a 'syndemic' winter.
"It’s a term he prefers to 'tripledemic,' as it acknowledges the impact of more than three pathogens on the healthcare system, and the need for policies to address the phenomenon, in addition to medical interventions.
"'Strained hospital capacities, workforce exhaustion, burnout, a lack of effective therapeutic tools, poor communication, a lack of compliance [with COVID precautions], a lack of continuity planning, and the pervasive influence of social determinants of health' only make the nation’s delicate health infrastructure more fragile, he said.
"COVID wastewater levels are “high” and again headed upwards, on track to surpass their 2023 peak, which occurred in September, according to wastewater data posted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID hospitalizations are up 10% week over week, according to the most recent data made available. And deaths, while not rising, are not receding, either.
"Jay Weiland—a top COVID forecaster cited by leading public health experts like Dr. Eric Topol—told Fortune he has 'little doubt' that this winter’s COVID wave will be the highest the country has seen since last winter, when Omicron spawn XBB.1.5, or “Kraken,” sent cases rocketing skyward yet again.
"There’s a 'reasonable chance' it surpasses last year’s wave, he added—but little chance it competes with the initial Omicron peak of the 2021–22 winter, when U.S. infections hit an all-time high."
Oh, but don't let this worry you. Just continue your life unmasked, unvaccinated, and carefree, because it's "just a cold" anyway.
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