There is clear evidence that COVID-19 is on the rise in New York City, the U.S., and other places around the world, but the late-summer surge in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths is so far more like an uptick than a wave, and those numbers remain low. There’s also a new highly mutated variant called BA.2.86 on the scene and a newly updated COVID booster shot on the horizon. Below is what to know — and why not to panic — about the state of COVID as we head into the first fall and winter since the official end of the U.S. and global public-health emergencies over the coronavirus.
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Whether it becomes a big deal globally or not, BA.2.86 demonstrates that the coronavirus is still capable of making significant evolutionary leaps out of what seems like nowhere. That’s not good, and COVID experts like Scripps’ Eric Topol continue to worry that it’s just a matter of time until another Omicron-like whammy.
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