Covid Climbing Yet Again Throughout US

The New York Times: New York City Enters Higher Coronavirus Risk Level As Case Numbers Rise
New York City entered a higher risk level for the coronavirus on Monday, a troubling reminder that the pandemic is not over and that the virus still has the power to harm New Yorkers. The city moved into the medium, or yellow, risk category for virus transmission as cases continued their steady rise, a development that could trigger the return of public health restrictions, although they are not required to be reinstated at this point. (Otterman and Fitzsimmons, 5/2)

AP: Idaho Health Care Provider Reports Climbing COVID Cases
Coronavirus cases are again edging upward in parts of Idaho, prompting some health care officials to urge renewed caution for big gatherings. “The data in the last 10 days is quite striking,” said Dr. David Peterman, the CEO of Primary Health Medical Group, which includes 22 urgent care and family medicine clinics in southwestern Idaho. “While there are many different ways you look at coronavirus in a pandemic, the goal is to get a positivity rate of less than 5%.” (Boone, 5/3)

U.S. News & World Report: New Omicron Subvariant BA.2.12.1 Spreading In U.S. As Coronavirus Cases Increase
But another omicron subvariant is quickly increasing, and experts believe it could be even more transmissible than BA.2. BA.2.12.1 was responsible for 29% of new coronavirus infections as of mid-April, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s up from 19% of cases the week prior and 14% of infections the first week in April. (Smith-Schoenwalder, 5/2)

On how widespread the impact of covid has been —

The Boston Globe: Survey Finds 4 In 10 American Adults Know Someone Who Died Of COVID-19
With the nation poised to reach the tragic milestone this month of 1 million official deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic, 40 percent of American adults say they know 1 or more people who have died of the disease, according to a survey released last week. That included 20 percent who knew 1 person who had died from the virus, 13 percent who knew 2, and 7 percent who said they knew 3 or more, according to the survey conducted by the COVID-19 Consortium for Understanding the Public’s Policy Preferences Across States, which includes Northeastern, Harvard, Rutgers, and Northwestern universities. (Finucane, 5/2)

CNN: Most Americans Have Now Had Covid-19 -- But Experts Are Predicting The Next Surge 
While it's tempting to say much of life is getting back to normal, it's probably more accurate to say it feels more comfortable and normal living alongside Covid-19. For many of those who are vaccinated or were previously infected, learning of a close contact with the disease is less frightening than frustrating. Testing is more and more normal. Masks are less and less visible. Kids in the US who are between 6 months and 5 years old could be eligible for vaccines by June, a huge relief to many parents. Many others might not get their small children vaccinated. Just over a third of children ages 5-11 are fully vaccinated. (Wolf, 5/2)

On other covid matters —

Stat: Here's How Coronavirus May Actually Be Getting More Like Flu 
Hours after a federal judge struck down the federal mask mandate covering air travel and other public transportation last month, Delta Airlines celebrated the move in a statement saying that Covid-19 “has transitioned to an ordinary seasonal virus.” By the next day, after an intense backlash from public health experts, Delta had taken the offending language down.“ ‘Ordinary viruses don’t cause 1 million deaths in one country in just 2 years,” tweeted epidemiologist Jessica Malaty Rivera, a senior advisor at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Pandemic Prevention Institute. (Molteni, 5/3)

CNN: Their Virus Symptoms Were Minor. Then They Had Long Covid. 
Linda Timmer wanted to practice what she preached. While working at a domestic violence nonprofit in Arizona during the height of the Covid-19 summer wave in 2020, Timmer wrote pandemic policies for her workplace, encouraging her colleagues to wear masks and, if they had been exposed to the coronavirus or had symptoms, get tested. Timmer herself was not aware of being exposed or having any Covid-19 symptoms, such as cough or fever, but she started experiencing some unusual moments when she felt fatigued or forgetful, along with several episodes of confusion. "They weren't really putting that in the list of symptoms to go get tested for," said Timmer, now 64. (Howard, 5/2)

Chicago Tribune: Want Free, At-Home COVID-19 Tests From Pharmacies And Insurers? It’s Not Always Easy, Despite Requirements 
Some Illinois residents say they’re still having trouble getting free at-home COVID-19 tests from pharmacies and insurance companies, more than three months after the White House began requiring insurers to cover them. President Joe Biden’s administration announced in January, amid an intense COVID-19 surge, that health insurance companies would be required to cover up to eight at-home COVID-19 tests a month per person. People were supposed to be able to walk into many pharmacies, flash their health insurance cards and walk out with free boxes of at-home COVID-19 tests. Or, if a pharmacy wasn’t in-network with their insurance, a person was supposed to be able to submit a claim for reimbursement for at least $12 a test. But it’s still not always that easy — a problem that comes as Illinois case numbers are again rising, prompting many people to again seek at-home tests. (Schencker, 5/3)