COVID: Going…Going…NOT GONE! Could You Still Die from COVID-19?

Most people have put COVID out of mind now that the flu is making headlines. But a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine (January 5, 2026) points out that this virus still has the capacity to do a lot of damage. Between October 2022 and September 2023, there were more than a million hospitalizations and over 101,000 deaths in the US attributed to COVID-19. The following year, there were fewer hospitalizations, but about the same number of deaths (100,800). People 65 and older accounted for almost half of the COVID-19 illnesses and 80% of the deaths. Currently, the Wastewater Scan data suggests that SARS-CoV-2 is at high levels in many parts of the country and is on an upward trend. People can still die from COVID.

Have You Stopped Worrying About COVID-19?

Look around the next time you go shopping, go out to eat or get on an airplane. Almost no one is wearing a mask. Some people insist that masks do not work. Others believe that masks are worse than nothing, yet they offer few—if any—practical solutions to avoid infection.

In case you have not been paying attention, we are in the first stages of a flu epidemic. Read more about this massive influenza outbreak at this link. That does not mean that COVID is no longer a threat, though. A GAO (U.S. Government Accountability Office) report estimates around 450 deaths due to COVID each week in 2025.

There have been peaks and valleys over the course of 2025, though. So, some weeks there were “only” about 200 deaths. But now, we are facing a significant upsurge. WastewaterScan monitors sewage treatment plants at 150 locations across 40 states. It can detect which infectious diseases are worrisome and which are not. The latest update suggests that about two-thirds of the country has a “High” levels of SARS-CoV-2:

“SARS-CoV-2 High

The map runs from North Dakota down to Texas and east till you hit Maine.

Will Some People Still Die from COVID?

Absolutely! If you go back to last year, you will discover that 500 to 600 people were dying weekly from this virus. That is far fewer than than the roughly 2,500 people who were dying weekly around the beginning of 2024.

Those who are dying are older, mostly over the age of 65. According to the CDC, over 80% of the people who will die from COVID are past 65. People with cancer, kidney disease, liver disease, asthma, COPD, diabetes, heart disease are at the greatest risk. So are those who are immunocompromised or taking an immunosuppressive drug. That’s a lot of people.

The study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, January 5, 2026 reports:

“Millions of people continue to experience illness and seek health care each year due to COVID-19, and tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands need hospitalization or die. During the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 periods, an estimated 43 million and 33 million illnesses, respectively; 10 million and 7.7 million outpatient visits, respectively; 1 130 000 and 879 100 hospitalizations, respectively; and approximately 100 000 deaths occurred.”

A New Variant Showed Its Face: KP.2:

Last year, a new COVID variant popped up. KP.2 surged last summer in Canada, the UK and in the United States. It has also been detected in Australia and New Zealand.

This was just one of several mutations that have been lumped together under the name FLiRT. Both the spike protein and other parts of the virus had undergone mutations that might affect replication and virulence. Of course, SARS-CoV-2 did not stop at KP.2.  It evolved into KP.3.1.1 last winter. Now, the dominant strain is XFG, (XFG. 14.1 and XFG.1). Subvariants include XFV, XFZ and NW.1.

Dr. William Haseltine on Different COVID-19 Variants:

William Haseltine, PhD, is a giant in the field of genetics and viral infections. He has taught at Harvard and is a recognized expert on the COVID-19 pandemic.

His analysis for Forbes (May 31, 2024) was comprehensive. He asks and answers a crucial question:

“How dangerous is each new version of SARS-CoV-2”?

Dr. Haseltine answers:

“Again, like the Flu, if you have been previously vaccinated, infected, or both, new variants are not so dangerous, but if you have not, emerging versions of SARS-CoV-2 could be life-threatening for those vulnerable.”

Here is a link to Dr. Haseltine’s article in Forbes.

He ends his review of last year’s COVID variant this way:

“It remains to be seen whether KP.2 will cause a new wave of Covid cases akin to Alpha or Omicron in years past. Further, current data cannot confirm whether this variant is more pathogenic or viral than JN.1, particularly for those previously infected or vaccinated. For those who have not been infected or vaccinated, infection with KP.2 could be very serious, and they should exercise caution.

“It is crucial to be aware of these threats before they become widespread, not after. As we enter the summer months, another wave of cases could likely occur, and KP.2 is an avenue for that.”

As far as we can tell, very few people are willing to exercise caution any more. They figure that COVID is over and they no longer need to pay attention. If only that were the case! Add influenza and cold viruses and you will be fortunate if you can avoid catching an upper respiratory tract infection this winter.

Will You Die from COVID-19?

We certainly hope not! Will you catch SARS-CoV-2 for the first, second or third time? That’s a distinct possibility. If you are older, have chronic health conditions or a weakened immune system because you are taking a drug that affects immunity, there is a greater risk you could end up in the hospital with some new variant of COVID-19.

We are not out of the woods with this virus. It keeps mutating. We were told that the virus would gradually become less dangerous. That may be true…but we won’t know how many people will die from COVID variants like XFG, XFV, and XFZ or their successors for a while.

We have become numb to COVID deaths. If “only” 200 people die from COVID this week, it will barely create a ripple. I find that disheartening. When you add the number who are likely to die from influenza, it is clear that we are not out of the woods yet.