Indiana sees holiday COVID-19 surge

Driving the news: As of early December, Indiana was among 22 states with "very high" COVID wastewater levels as defined by the CDC, which compares current rates to baseline measurements at sites nationwide.

• Many states with "very high" levels are concentrated in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.

Of note: Wastewater analysis is one of the best methods for tracking the spread of COVID these days, given how few people are testing and how few of those results are reported to local or state health officials.

Threat level: COVID remains a potentially fatal disease for vulnerable groups, especially the elderly and immunocompromised.

• There have been nearly 67,200 deaths nationwide related to COVID so far this year, per provisional CDC data. That's down significantly from approximately 246,200 last year and 463,300 in 2021, but still a considerable toll.
• Plus: Some evidence suggests multiple exposures can have a cumulative negative effect, though research here remains ongoing.

Meanwhile, the CDC recently sounded the alarm on low levels of COVID, flu and RSV vaccinations so far this winter.

• Only about 11% of Indiana residents have received the most recent COVID booster, the lowest rate among neighboring states, per the CDC.

💭 My thought bubble: COVID entered my house two weeks ago via my daughter's day care, where at least half her class was infected.

• After living through drive-up testing and stringent rules, it's fascinating to see how routine the illness has become.
• No one at my daughter's doctor's office wore masks or minded touching her even after she tested positive.
• Everyone just sort of expects to get COVID — and, right now, everyone is getting it.