The U.S. is heading into our first winter since the end of the federal public health emergency for COVID-19. Those of us still following COVID-19 trends might need to change which data sources we use to track the disease this winter, and how we think about trends.
Read MoreSources and updates for the week of June 25 include state health metrics, rapid test accuracy, reinfections, and more.
Read MoreSources and updates for the week of June 4 include Medicaid coverage losses, household COVId-19 transmission, sewer connections, and more.
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Last week, I gave you an overview of the changes coming with the end of the federal public health emergency (PHE). This week, I’d like to focus on the health equity implications of the PHE’s end. With the end of extra supplies and resources tied to the emergency, people who are already vulnerable to other health issues will become more at risk for COVID-19.
Read MoreLast week, I wrote about the Iowa health department’s move to end COVID-19 case reporting requirements for labs, and in turn stop reporting these data to the CDC. Well, Montana just became the next state to follow this trend.
Read MoreAs of April 1, Iowa’s state health department is no longer requiring public health laboratories to report positive COVID-19 test results—and no longer reporting statewide data to the CDC. This decision, announced in late February, is part of a growing trend away from relying on case data as people use at-home tests instead of PCR tests.
Read MoreSources and updates for the week of March 26 include paxlovid for Long COVID, vaccination rates by state, a pathogenic fungus, and more.
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This week, I have a new story out in Gothamist and WNYCabout norovirus, a nasty stomach bug that appears to be spreading a lot in the U.S. right now. The story shares some NYC-specific norovirus information, but it also talks more broadly about why it’s difficult to find precise data on this virus despite its major implications for public health. Reporting this story led me to reflect on how COVID-19 has revealed cracks in the country’s infrastructure for tracking a lot of common pathogens.
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As we head into the holidays with limited COVID-19 testing and undercounted case numbers, wastewater surveillance is the best way to evaluate how much the virus is spreading in your region. And it’s now available in more places than ever, thanks to the many research groups and public health agencies setting up sewage testing.
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The COVID-19 Data Dispatch is going on hiatus for the month of August 2022. Here are some tips for keeping track of COVID-19 numbers while we’re on this break, and a bit of context about why we’re taking four weeks off.
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