Brutal COVID-19 surge in the U.S. weakens significantly

New cases of COVID-19 are down 56% over the past month, along with a 38% drop in hospitalizations, offering hope that the mass vaccination campaign is doing some good. The country is coming off its most severe surge to date, however, so the numbers are still higher than during previous outbreaks, even with the substantial decline. Deaths tied to the pandemic remain near peak levels, for instance, based on data from Johns Hopkins University. In addition, health experts warn, the emergence of highly contagious mutations of the coronavirus continue to threaten eradication efforts. “The concern right now is that while we’re seeing a decline in cases from the holiday surge, as we identify more transmission of the variants within the U.S., this could lead to another surge,” cautions Saskia Popescu, and assistant professor in policy and government at George Mason University. That is particularly true, others add, if jurisdictions start to relax restrictions—such as avoiding large social gatherings and indoor restaurant dining—that have helped to reduce cases.