The Holiday Season May Cause The 5th Wave Of Coronavirus Pandemic

On Friday, the United States passed more than 760,000 deaths caused by a coronavirus. The country enters a quite uncertain phase as the holiday season and winter approach.

On Thursday, Vermont set a record in the count of its COVID-19 cases, according to the analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University carried out by USA Today.

The Holiday Season May Cause The 5th Wave Of Coronavirus Pandemic

The University of Washington’s health metrics sciences professor, Ali Mokdad said that the combination of waning immunity and the delta variant is setting us back. Mokdad added that this virus is going to stay with us for a long time.

According to many experts and available data, Christmas and thanksgiving holidays can cause another surge. That is mainly because the use of masks has been decreasing and families all around are planning gatherings and dinners indoors.

The virus of COVID-19 thrives in dry and cool air and when crowds gather indoors without masks, transmission can increase.

But even for the experts who track the cases, prediction about where the virus is going is nearly impossible.

A researcher of Virginia Tech who studies coronavirus and its airborne spread, Linsey Marr said that it is extremely hard to predict what is coming next when it comes to the virus.

Marr added that when they thought they understood the virus, this variant surprised them. Everyone thought vaccines would help to put an end to this pandemic, but it just keeps on dragging.

In Europe, the number of coronavirus cases has risen above 10% since last week. The World Health Organization has said that Europe was once again the pandemic’s epicenter.

Many countries have been considering imposing strict restrictions as lockdowns haven’t been in place. On Friday, it is expected that the Dutch government will announce a lockdown. Austria is thinking of introducing a lockdown for people who remain unvaccinated.

In Denmark, a digital pass has been reintroduced that allows only vaccinated citizens to enter spaces like bars, restaurants, and gyms. Health experts hope that the combination of vaccines and these measures will help Europe get back on track.

The chair of the University of Edinburgh’s global public health, Devi Sridhar said that the time of locking people up is over because now we have the resources to control the virus. We have therapeutics, testing, and vaccines.

The governor of Tennessee on Friday passed a law restricting the local health agencies and public schools the authority to impose coronavirus restrictions.

The bill bans public schools and government entities from mandating masks unless serious conditions arise. It also bans them from requiring vaccines but makes certain exceptions.

It allows people who quit their jobs because of the requirements of COVID-19 to collect their unemployment benefits. It allows medical providers to prescribe independently monoclonal antibody treatments.

Just a short time after the students started to return to in-person learning, a coronavirus surge occurred. So many schools across the country are returning to remote learning or temporarily closing down. Schools were struggling from staff shortages, driverless buses, and students not attending schools.

The recent weeks of Michigan saw at least 8 schools returning to online learning or shutting down because of a shortage of staff. On Wednesday, Brevard Public Schools of Florida said they would extend the break of Thanksgiving. Schools of Portland, Seattle, and Oregon gave students and teachers a holiday on the account of Veterans Day.

In Florida, the remaining three schools that required masks for some students are dropping these mandates. On Friday, the schools of Miami-Dade announced that students can choose to not wear a mask If they have permission from their parents. For middle school students and high school, masks have always been optional.