New omicron-derived variants have appeared overseas. Please keep wearing masks.

BA.4 and BA.5 

https://www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-covid-who-variant-strain-20220411-o44xlvbly5g7dbept73hnxgalu-story.html

I haven't commented on the stats in a while.  Whatever uptick is or isn't going on now, the hospital and ventilator stats have remained low and flat for some time.  Almost every day for nearly the last month, hospitalizations have remained in the 300s statewide.  The vent stats are even better.  The last number was 21.  That's the lowest in like almost forever

While covid test data is becoming more unreliable with the surge in home testing, the level of covid in poop and town wastewater is one of the most reliable measures of covid levels in a community, and it has been rising rapidly in the last few months.  While hospitalization and death may not have risen tremendously, long covid can and does occur even with mild cases.

"Almost two-thirds of wastewater stations reporting to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have shown increases in coronavirus levels during the most recent 15 days and nearly half doubled in virus concentration. Both trends are at their highest since the peak of the winter omicron surge. About 500 to 600 stations are included in the daily update."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/04/14/coronavirus-in-wastewater-sewer/

Its likely that cases are undercounted.

Anecdotally, I know of some who were infected as shown by their rapid test results. They had mild symptoms therefore staying at home and not bothering to report or get any medical assistance.

the data you have to watch is the hospital and death rate as those are more reliable.  I know at least one person who had mild symptoms and likely never tested.  He developed a mild cough in December, while it gradually got better, it's only been the last  month I haven't heard it......I just stay away from him.

jmitw said:

the data you have to watch is the hospital and death rate as those are more reliable

They are also trailing indicators. If you wait for them to skyrocket, any action you take will be too late. 

RTrent said:

Its likely that cases are undercounted.

Anecdotally, I know of some who were infected as shown by their rapid test results. They had mild symptoms therefore staying at home and not bothering to report or get any medical assistance.

Others suspect there is undercounting - 

Not great, some experts say, in part because it does not take into account the huge rise in home testing, which probably accounts for most new cases at this point.

“I think the true number of infections in New York City is probably three to five times the number of diagnosed cases these days,” said Dr. Denis Nash, a professor of epidemiology at the City University of New York who studied transmission trends during the city’s first Omicron surge.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/20/nyregion/new-york-covid-alert-risk.html

Hospitalization curve as opposed to just cases. It is starting to creep back up.

If you haven't already heard. NJ's rate has tripled over the last 2 months. Essex and Bergen are back up.