Is US In ‘Eye Of The Hurricane’? Experts Debate Dip In New Covid Cases

Fox News: Daily Coronavirus Cases In US Drop Below 100,000, Data Shows
The U.S. recorded fewer than 100,000 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday for the first time in months, data shows. Just over 96,000 new cases were identified Sunday, a decrease from the 113,927 cases reported on Saturday, according to the COVID Tracking Project (CTP). It was the first time since Nov. 2 that less than 100,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported. The data on Sunday was missing updates from a handful of states because some do not regularly report on the weekend, while others were having "technical difficulties." (Aaro, 2/7)

USA Today: US COVID Cases Are Falling But It's Not From Vaccine, Yet, Experts Say
New coronavirus cases are on the decline in the United States after staggering post-holiday peaks last month, but experts say it's too early for new COVID-19 vaccines to be having an influence. The positive trend also is not assured to continue, because new and more transmissible variants threaten to reverse it, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. "Although we have seen declines in cases and admissions and a recent slowing of deaths, cases remain extraordinarily high, still twice as high as the peak number of cases over the summer," she said this week. (Rodriguez, 2/6)

CNN: Despite Dip In Covid-19 Cases, Expert Says US Is In The 'Eye Of The Hurricane' As Variants Spread 
While a recent dip in Covid-19 infections may seem encouraging, experts warn now is not the time for Americans to let their guard down. That's largely because of new variants circulating in the US, putting the country once again in the "eye of the hurricane," according to one expert. (Maxouris, 2/8)

NPR: Actual Coronavirus Infections Far Higher Than Confirmed Cases, Model Shows
Ever since the coronavirus reached the U.S., officials and citizens alike have gauged the severity of the spread by tracking one measure in particular: How many new cases are confirmed through testing each day. However, it has been clear all along that this number is an understatement because of testing shortfalls. Now a research team at Columbia University has built a mathematical model that gives a much more complete — and scary — picture of how much virus is circulating in our communities. (Aizenman, Carlsen and Talbot, 2/6)

KHN: Why The U.S. Is Underestimating Covid Reinfection 
Kaitlyn Romoser first caught covid-19 in March, likely on a trip to Denmark and Sweden, just as the scope of the pandemic was becoming clear. Romoser, who is 23 and a laboratory researcher in College Station, Texas, tested positive and had a few days of mild, coldlike symptoms. In the weeks that followed, she bounced back to what felt like a full recovery. She even got another test, which was negative, in order to join a study as one of the earliest donors of convalescent blood plasma in a bid to help others. (Aleccia, 2/8)

In related news about mask-wearing —

The Hill: CDC Study: Mask Mandates Reduce COVID-19 Hospitalizations 
States and counties that implemented mask mandates saw a substantial decline in the number of people admitted to the hospital to treat COVID-19 symptoms in the weeks after the mandates took effect, according to a new study published Friday. (Wilson, 2/5)

NPR: Iowa Rolls Back Coronavirus Restrictions
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a new public health disaster proclamation Friday that will ease previous public health regulations geared to controlling the coronavirus. Starting Sunday, Iowa residents will no longer be required to wear masks. Reynolds' previous order, which was put into place last November, required individuals to wear masks when indoors in a public space and within six feet of individuals who are not part of their household. (Jones, 2/5)