Most people are done with 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, but they offer few, if any, solutions to avoid infection. The people who are trying hard to forget there ever was a COVID pandemic have good reason to be optimistic. Since May 2025, the average weekly death count has been around 200. So the good news is that you are not likely to die from COVID any time soon. But new variants can still pose risks.
The Summer Surge:
COVID cases have been increasing, especially on the west coast. Oregon has seen a late-summer surge in cases. California has also seen an alarming increase. Hospitalizations for COVID patients have almost doubled in recent weeks.
An objective measure of viral spread comes from wastewater samples. The CDC’s wastewater surveillance system reports very high genomic sequencing levels for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. There is hope that the summer surge will ease soon. On the other hand, public health officials worry that another COVID wave could start as early as November, just in time for holiday travel.
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’s way better than the 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 immune suppressing drug. That’s a lot of people.
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, with NB.1.8.1 running a distant second. For now, these have surpassed all the KP variants.
Dr. William Haseltine on Different COVID-19 Variants:
William Haseltine, PhD, is 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) is 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!
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 it would gradually become less dangerous. That may be true…but we won’t know how many people will die from COVID variants like KP.2 and its successors for a while.
We have become numb to COVID deaths. If “only” 100 people die from COVID this week, it will barely create a ripple. I find that disappointing.
