As the United States enters a third fall with COVID-19, the virus for many is seemingly gone — or at least out of mind. But for those keeping watch, it is far from forgotten as deaths and infections continue to mount at a lower but steady pace.
What does that mean for the upcoming months?
Epidemiologists and other medical experts laud the progress, but as they look at the maps and the numbers, they see several scenarios ahead that signal a coming wave of disease, among them more-resistant variants coupled with waning immunity, the potential for a “twindemic” with a flu/COVID onslaught, and underuse of lifesaving vaccines and treatments.
…
Ali Mokdad, PhD, chief strategy officer for population health at the University of Washington in Seattle, told Medscape Medical News he is less worried about the documented variants we know about than he is about the potential for a new immune-escape variety yet to emerge.
…
There is some disagreement, however, about the possibility of a so-called “twindemic” of influenza and COVID.
Richard Webby, PhD, an infectious disease specialist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, told Medscape Medical News he thinks the possibility of both viruses spiking at the same time is unlikely.
“That’s not to say we won’t get flu and COVID activity in the same winter,” he explained, “but I think both roaring at the same time is unlikely.”
…
Another threat is vaccines, boosters, and treatments sitting on shelves. MUSC’s [Michael] Sweat referred to frustration with vaccine uptake that seems to be “frozen in amber.”
