Coronavirus was everywhere in March of 2020, causing many problems worldwide. This continued for a long time, but coronavirus slowly died down and didn’t become nearly as important. It was still a big problem, but it seemed like the surge that occurred in 2020 was over. However, in late 2023, a large uptick of cases has arisen, showing that COVID-19 may be surging again, similar to that of 2020. But the question on everyone’s mind is, why?
One of the biggest reasons for this increase in cases is the new coronavirus variant, JN.1. According to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School Of Public Health, it was only responsible for about five percent of cases near late 2023, but now, in January, it’s responsible for more than sixty percent. It spreads very rapidly and causes sore throat, congestion, runny nose, cough, and headache. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than eleven percent of coronavirus tests are positive, and more than four percent of all deaths in the U.S. are due to COVID-19 and its variants. But what do all of these stats mean for students in Fallon?
The increase in coronavirus cases may mean that safety procedures that have been used in the past are coming back, like wearing a mask at all times or even virtual learning. However, Jayme Phillips, one of the district nurses who works at Fallon, thinks otherwise. She states, “I do not think that all the safety precautions will come back… there are no longer special rules if you have COVID, it’s treated like a normal sickness.” When asked about the increase in COVID cases, she says, “We have had really big swings in our county, but compared to previous years, it’s not as bad as before.” She assures that this COVID surge isn’t much to worry about, saying, “I don’t think this is super serious. Just remember that all these respiratory viruses are contagious and that we should do our part to prevent the spread by masking when sick or staying home.”
The following is a graph of the COVID cases that have taken place in Alameda County. The dark blue line fluctuates up and down depending on the number of cases at the time. Right now, we have a moderate number of cases, but not as many as in earlier years.
COVID has returned, but it’s not as severe as some might think. It’s much less serious than the COVID surge in 2020, and we won’t have to go back into lockdown or wear masks again. This will most likely end very soon, but for now, start preventing the spread of this new variant by staying home when you’re sick and washing your hands.
