Tripledemic
Dec. 12th, 2022 12:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerOh, great. We've got another new word to describe the hardship of the ongoing global Coronavirus pandemic. Tripledemic.
"Tripledemic" refers to the overlap of three viruses going around in elevated numbers right now. There's Covid-19, now entering its fourth year; good old-fashioned flu; and now an oldie-but-goodie that's surging this year, respiratory syncytial virus— more commonly known as RSV.
The CDC is urging mask usage, particularly in the hardest-hit parts of the country. Those are the counties classified as High Community Levels of Covid-19. The area where I live, Santa Clara County, California, is in the High tier. Update: CDC page with Covid-19 Community Levels map.
It's unlikely this warning will make any difference. The CDC can "recommend" and even "urge" masking all it wants, but little's going to change. President Biden himself announced over a year ago now that Covid-19 is "over". Around half the country made that decision for themselves long before that. Oh, I wear my mask in public indoors places. So does Hawk. So do many of our personal friends. But even here in politically progressive Silicon Valley, overall masking in indoors public spaces has fallen below 20%.
"Tripledemic" refers to the overlap of three viruses going around in elevated numbers right now. There's Covid-19, now entering its fourth year; good old-fashioned flu; and now an oldie-but-goodie that's surging this year, respiratory syncytial virus— more commonly known as RSV.
The CDC is urging mask usage, particularly in the hardest-hit parts of the country. Those are the counties classified as High Community Levels of Covid-19. The area where I live, Santa Clara County, California, is in the High tier. Update: CDC page with Covid-19 Community Levels map.
It's unlikely this warning will make any difference. The CDC can "recommend" and even "urge" masking all it wants, but little's going to change. President Biden himself announced over a year ago now that Covid-19 is "over". Around half the country made that decision for themselves long before that. Oh, I wear my mask in public indoors places. So does Hawk. So do many of our personal friends. But even here in politically progressive Silicon Valley, overall masking in indoors public spaces has fallen below 20%.
