When the White Home introduced on Monday night that first lady Jill Biden had tested positive for COVID-19, it was a reminder that, as a lot as People need to put the pandemic utterly behind them, the coronavirus continues to flow into — and is doing so extra aggressively now than it has in months, with new Omicron subvariants becoming more prolific throughout the summer.
For most individuals, the virus isn’t as terrifying or as lethal because it was three years in the past, however it’s nonetheless potent sufficient to make folks sick for a number of days and disrupt their plans.
Learn extra by way of Yahoo Life: Can at-home COVID tests detect new variants Eris and Pirola? Here’s what experts say.
White Home hunkers down
In the summertime of 2022, President Biden contracted COVID-19 for the primary time. As a result of he was totally vaccinated and was being fastidiously monitored by White Home physicians, he skilled solely gentle signs and recovered quickly.
First woman Jill Biden also tested positive at the time — and didn’t get critically sick. Since then, the Bidens have typically lived as if COVID-19 have been behind them, touring extensively and internet hosting massive indoor gatherings.
President Biden allowed the COVID-19 national emergency to end last spring, a transfer decried by some public well being professionals.
Now, the administration is intent on demonstrating {that a} high-profile an infection like the primary woman’s isn’t a purpose for alarm. “We all know that we’ve made historic progress on this nation,” White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned on Tuesday to reporters, who peppered her with questions in regards to the president’s personal standing.
Learn extra on Yahoo Life: New poll finds only 12% of Americans typically wear a mask in public
Biden is unfavorable (thus far)
Jean-Pierre mentioned that Biden examined unfavorable for COVID-19 on each Monday night and on Tuesday. The president is predicted to journey to India later this week for the G20 summit, however a coronavirus an infection would clearly disrupt these plans.
Throughout Tuesday’s briefing, Jean-Pierre mentioned that as a precaution, Biden would put on a masks for the primary time in months — and would proceed to get examined. “He will likely be masking whereas indoors and round folks,” she mentioned. General, she sought to challenge a way of stability, regardless of the opportunity of new infections within the White Home.
“We all know how one can transfer ahead,” Jean-Pierre informed reporters. In essence, the White Home believes that with masks, vaccines and exams extensively obtainable, People can take as many — or as few — precautions as they need.
Learn extra by way of Yahoo Information: There will be a new COVID vaccine this fall, but will people get it?
Summer season ends with miniwave
For essentially the most half, People have sought to go away the pandemic prior to now. By 2023, masking had develop into an more and more uncommon follow. Vaccination and booster charges had flatlined. When the public health and nationwide emergency each ended final spring, it appeared that the nation was lastly carried out with the coronavirus.
However current weeks have seen hospitalizations rise persistently nationwide, a pattern that signifies one thing of a miniwave, pushed by the brand new Pirola subvariant of Omicron, additionally identified scientifically as BA.2.86.
The current spike, nevertheless, could also be nothing greater than the brand new post-pandemic regular, with the coronavirus persevering with to periodically present up.
“That is what dwelling with COVID goes to appear like,” Mark Woolhouse, an epidemiology professor at the University of Edinburgh, told Yahoo News.
Learn extra by way of Rolling Stone: Metallica Postpone Arizona Show as ‘COVID Has Caught Up With’ James Hetfield
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