Just plugged today's CDC numbers into my new forecasting model (releases Mon). My initial reaction was "Jesus Christ. That's bad. That's really really bad."
If you live in the West in particular, it's currently about as bad as last winter. About 1 in 23 infectious out West.
Those of us modeling have been talking about the late-summer wave -- all year -- as a given.
The 1-day isolation policy, the lack of a twice-annual updated vax, & the vilification of masks are emblematic of #LaissezFairePublicHealth. A wintery summer surge is the result.
I hope the present numbers are revised downward, but there is no reason to suspect that. In my view, the current estimates are as likely to be overestimates as underestimates.
Here's the updated CDC COVID "heat" map released today, recolored with dark red to equal more transmission.
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National COVlD transmission recently fell to its lowest levels since the pre-Delta era.
It's go-time for many who have delayed medical appointments. The situation will likely get much worse in Jul/Aug.
2/ PMC COVlD Dashboard, June 2, 2025 (U.S.)
An estimated 1 in 211 are actively infectious. Most states are "low" or "very low" per CDC.
The situation remains serious even in a relative "lull." >1.5 million weekly estimated infections to result in 600-900 excess deaths.
3/ PMC COVlD Dashboard, June 2, 2025 (U.S.)
By the end of the month, we forecast an increase to 450k daily infections. If NB.1.8.1 takes off, closer to 600k. If overhyped, percolating only slightly higher.
🔥1 in 180 actively infectious
🔥1.9 million weekly infections
🔥>93,000 new #LongCOVID cases from the week's infections
🔥1,100 excess deaths from the week's infections
This is a "lull."
2) PMC Dashboard, May 26, 2025 (U.S.)
The forecast calls for a near-doubling in transmission the next month to 450k daily infections.
The 95% confidence interval includes flat transmission (percolating), or escalating to 650k (if NB.1.8.1 takes off).
3) PMC Dashboard, May 26, 2025 (U.S.)
Looking at year-over-year transmission, 2025 (red) is closely tracking the median (gray).
It transmission accelerates, it could look more like last year (orange). If it slows, more like two years ago (yellow).
1) CDC & Biobot wastewater surveillance both show the West region in an apparent uptick in C19 transmission.
Here's the graph of regional transmission from CDC data with the West in green:
2) This image zooms in on the West (green line) so you can see the apparent departure from the C19 lull more easily.
3) Biobot still provides national & regional C19 updates. They usually post sometime between Thursday morning & Saturday evening. IMO, their most recent data point can be viewed as the Wednesday of the prior week.
Like the CDC, they have an apparent uptick in the West (green).
In this national "lull" in transmission, we are seeing...
🔥A quarter-million daily infections
🔥90-360k Long COVlD cases from the week's infections
🔥600-1,100 deaths from the week's infections
🔥LA, SD, NE, & GU in high transmission
1) Good luck getting any new federal research to support #LongCOVID until "covid" is dropped from the dirty words that get grant applications triaged to the trash bin.
You know which senator to call.
I just did, and got a staffer instead of voicemail.
2) I told the staffer that #LongCOVID is affecting millions and that no research will be funded to address this while "covid" remains on the banned word list.
3) I told them about my family member who was a strong Special Forces veteran, got covid once, & according to their neurologist, it triggered #LongCOVID in the form of Dementia w/Lewy Bodies.
DLB is one of the worst conditions imaginable. After a 2yr battle, they died in 2024.
Mortality displacement or "harvesting" is the idea that so many people died of COVID in the early pandemic that we should actually expect to see *fewer* deaths today if COVID were "over."
In fact, we see similar or slightly higher mortality relative to pre-pandemic levels. Despite the millions of people that have died, the mortality faucet keeps running strong. It should have slowed.