The antialcohol Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has consistently failed in projecting how Covid will impact the U.S. economy. Perhaps that’s because they view their job as simply collecting and reporting epidemiological data — what diseases are out there based on the symptoms people have, where those diseases are and how they have spread. In other words, maybe CDC views its job as reporting history.
Interesting, perhaps, to scientists and academics, but useless if you’re trying to project what is likely to happen. That’s where major media, such as The New York Times comes in.
Taking a look at data from some of the earliest-hit cities, it has a pretty good idea. This is going to be bad, really bad. To be sure, deaths right now are slightly lower than in previous peaks. “But because of the extraordinarily high case count, even a proportionally lower death toll from the current case curve in the United States could be devastating,” the Times said.
“In early-hit cities, hospitals are seeing more patients testing positive for Covid-19 than at any time last year. Because of the sheer infectiousness of the Omicron variant, many who arrive at the hospital for other ailments test positive for the coronavirus.
“The number of Covid-19 patients who need intensive care or mechanical ventilation is approaching levels not seen since last winter. And the sheer number of patients is overwhelming to hospitals, where staffing shortages are putting health care workers under immense strain.”
You can read the full report here. If you don’t want to read the full story, at least take a look at the charts. They aren’t pretty.
Going to Gym With Covid a Bad Idea
“Testing positive for Covid-19 means putting workouts on hold, even if you have zero or mild symptoms,” Jen Murphy writes in The Wall Street Journal.
“But sports-medicine professionals say you should put exercise on pause, even if you are asymptomatic. The American College of Sports Medicine, for example, suggests low-risk patients should rest for at least 10 days after being diagnosed with Covid-19. If asymptomatic, the rest should last seven days,” she says, adding:
“After you’ve recovered, restraint is key when resuming workouts. Jumping right back into a vigorous exercise routine could prolong the time it takes to regain fitness levels, or worse, lead to injury or relapse.”
You can read her report here.