The US reported a record 1 million COVID-19 infections on Monday amid changing federal guidance and FDA approval of boosters for immunocompromised 5–11-year-old children.
Summary
The US reported 1,080,211 COVID-19 infections on Monday as states cleared testing backlogs that accumulated over the holiday break.
- This record-setting total is almost twice as large as the winter 2020-2021 peak. The seven-day average of infections is now 480,273.
- However, the seven-day average of hospitalizations is at 105,138, below both the all-time pandemic peak of Jan. 10, 2021 (137,510) but higher than the Delta-variant peak in September (102,967). As the Wall Street Journal notes, spottier testing in 2021 and widespread testing shortages now complicate any comparisons.
- According to CDC estimates, the Omicron variant was responsible for 95.4 percent of COVID cases over the past week. Less than one month ago, Omicron cases made up a mere 8.0 percent of US infections.
- It’s important to note not all “COVID hospitalizations” are due to severe COVID-19 infections. Jackson Health System in Florida found half its COVID patients were admitted for “non-COVID reasons.” Anthony Fauci, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) have made similar statements along these lines in recent days.
- Meanwhile, the CDC recommended Pfizer booster shots for children aged 5-11 with moderate to severely compromised immune systems after the FDA authorization was announced Monday.
- This comes months after two top FDA scientists resigned in protest over efforts to authorize boosters for children.
- David Leonhardt of the New York Times wrote about how American society “decided harming children was an unavoidable side effect of COVID-19” and the toll pandemic restrictions have taken on the nation’s children.
- The Atlantic, previously the repository of the some of the most COVID-alarmist takes on the internet, now urges asymptomatic people to “stop wasting COVID tests” and reserve them for those who most need them.
- The Washington Post cautioned that while the Omicron variant is bad news, lockdowns are not the answer.
- National Review covered the “once-taboo ideas” newly embraced by public health experts and the Biden Administration’s testing failures.
- Fox News argued that Biden’s “pandemic of the unvaccinated” rhetoric falls flat in the face of rising Omicron cases.
- The Washington Examiner faults teachers unions for once again prioritizing teachers over what’s best for their students.
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© Dominic Moore, 2022
