22 states have had daily increases in COVID cases over the last 2 weeks, with at least 12 reaching their highest numbers yet since pandemic started. Really concerning. nytimes.com/interactive/20… 1/x
Some of the new cases likely represent increased diagnostic testing.For example, in California the number of hospitalized cases and ICU pts with COVID has remained steady despite a rise in cases, suggesting that more diagnostic testing is a big factor there. 2/x
But in other states, like Arizona, Arkansas, Texas, North Carolina, Utah, hospitalizations are continuing to rise. 3/x
Unfortunately in some states, it is not easy to find hospital trends on the state’s website – for example in Georgia and Florida. In every state, the public has a need to know this kind of info to make good decisions on their personal risks. States should provide it daily. 4/x
Some political leaders have seemed to say that control of COVID is about people taking personal responsibility. Its certainly true people can decide to wear masks, physically distance, telecommute and avoid large gatherings. Those are good and responsible individual actions. 5/x
But it’s not just about personal responsibility for one’s own risks and health in this pandemic. The choices that we make as individuals have the potential to increase COVID transmission in our communities. 6/x
While one individual, because of their age and underlying health, might have low risk of a serious outcome if they get COVID, if they spread it to someone older or with underlying medical conditions, that person would have a higher risk of dying from it.7/x
The future of this pandemic will also be dictated by a state’s policies. The state decides what guidance to give to its people, what actions to encourage or not. Decides what is open, with what restrictions. Decides what thresholds for more or less government action will be. 8/x
The state will continue to have a central, critical role in this pandemic. In countries that had far more success in controlling this disease, e.g. New Zealand, Thailand, Iceland, South Korea, government had a very active role in leading the response. It was not hands off. 9/x
Beijing is now in process of trying to control a new outbreak in a city market with 79 new cases of COVID. It is reported that they have dedicated 100,000 people to help control this a new outbreak, tiny compared to the number of new cases many US states face every day.10/x
Its important for Americans to realize we're still in the middle of the pandemic and the virus hasn’t changed. We should move toward reopening the economy as much as we can, but... 11/x
...without re-initiating rapid epidemic spread that is difficult to control (e.g. NYC, Northern Italy, Wuhan). And while being cognizant that if COVID continued to kill people at this rate to the end of this year, it'd be the third leading cause of US deaths in 2020.12/x
The public should not accept this as the new normal. The public should keep calling for better diagnostics, contact tracing and quarantine, rapid outbreak investigations.13/x
And individual states should monitor carefully the impact of their reopening actions and be prepared to slow, adjust or change as they move ahead, if things move quickly in the wrong direction.14/x
Managing this pandemic is a marathon not a sprint. Even if the public generally makes responsible decisions that help limit transmission, state leaders will have to carefully navigate the balance btwn reopening and resurgence of the epidemic for a long time to come.15/end
