The United States is experiencing its mildest COVID-19 winter yet, according to wastewater data aggregated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The recent wave has seen less COVID circulating over the holidays and lower virus levels in wastewater compared to previous years.
Hospitalization rates have remained relatively low, with around 600 people dying each week in late December, a significant decrease from last winter’s rate of 2,000. While this data does not reflect the exact number of individual cases, it indicates a slowdown in the virus’s five-year assault.
Epidemiologists attribute this lull to several factors, including the population still carrying immunity from a large summer surge and the vaccine being a good match for the circulating variant. The virus also did not acquire significant mutations that would have allowed for faster transmission or greater sickness.
However, it is essential to note that there are other illnesses affecting Americans this winter, with respiratory viruses like flu and RSV seeing increased hospitalizations. While COVID-19 deaths remain relatively low compared to last year’s peak, experts caution against complacency, as the virus may still surge again in the future.
“It might be some good times, some bad times,” says infectious disease specialist Peter Chin-Hong. “We have to have humility.” For now, there is a measure of relief for Americans and experts who have tracked COVID-19 for five long years.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/04/upshot/covid-illnesses-mild-winter.html