Immunocompromised individuals and the elderly are more susceptible to severe illness from Covid-19.
KP.2 is a member of the Omicron family.
New Covid-19 variant KP.2 accounts for 30% of new infections in the US.
The CDC advises staying up-to-date with vaccinations and boosters.
This summer, Americans are bracing for an increase in Covid-19 cases with the emergence of new coronavirus variants such as KP.2. According to recent reports, this variant now accounts for nearly 30% of all new infections in the United States. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified KP.2 as a member of the Omicron family, which includes other variants such as Alpha, Beta, and Delta.
Despite this development, there seems to be a lack of federal pressure to limit transmission or even declare a surge. As a result, people are no longer advised to isolate after testing positive for Covid-19. Additionally, free tests have become increasingly difficult to obtain for some individuals. Furthermore, uninsured people will soon no longer be able to receive coronavirus vaccines for free.
The CDC advises that immunocompromised individuals and the elderly remain vigilant during this time as they are more susceptible to severe illness from Covid-19. The Biden administration has urged everyone to stay up-to-date with their vaccinations and boosters, emphasizing their importance in protecting against severe disease.
Despite these concerns, some experts believe that the public's focus on other issues may lead to complacency regarding Covid-19. Mandy Cohen, a health expert at Duke University School of Medicine, warns that
The article mentions a lack of federal pressure to limit transmission or declare a surge, but does not provide specific data or sources.
The article states that free tests have become increasingly difficult to obtain for some individuals, but does not specify which individuals or why this is the case.
Covid cases are expected to increase during summer with new variants such as KP.2 accounting for 28% of all infections.
Free tests are hard to come by and uninsured individuals will no longer be able to get coronavirus vaccines for free.
Accuracy
People are no longer advised to isolate for five days after testing positive for covid-19.
Free tests are hard to come by for some individuals.
Deception
(30%)
The article makes several statements that imply a lack of concern or importance regarding Covid-19, which could be seen as emotional manipulation and sensationalism. The author states 'People are no longer advised to isolate for five days after testing positive' and 'Many who do get sick won’t ever know it’s covid. Or care.' These statements could be interpreted as downplaying the severity of Covid-19, which is not an accurate representation of the current state of the virus. The author also states 'Summer offers a reminder of why covid is unlike the flu, a more predictable fall and winter respiratory virus.' This statement implies that Covid-19 is less serious than other respiratory viruses, which is not true. Additionally, there are several instances of selective reporting in the article. For example, the author mentions that 'hospitals stopped reporting confirmed covid-19 cases' but fails to mention that this is due to a change in reporting guidelines and that Covid-19 hospitalizations and deaths are still being tracked by other means. These omissions could be seen as an attempt to mislead readers about the current state of the pandemic.
People are no longer advised to isolate for five days after testing positive
Many who do get sick won’t ever know it’s covid. Or care.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several instances of appeals to authority and dichotomous depictions. The authors quote experts and use their opinions as evidence without providing any context or analysis. They also present the situation as a binary choice between treating covid as a top priority or ignoring it completely, which oversimplifies the complex reality.
So we’re left with a virus that continues to hum in the background as an ever-present pathogen and sporadic killer.
, if a wave materializes this summer, we’re less poised to navigate the rough waters.
“If a wave materializes this summer, we’re less poised to navigate the rough waters,” said Ziyad Al-Aly, an epidemiologist and long-covid researcher at the Veterans Affairs health-care system in St. Louis.
“There’s no care or attention given to the fact that this is serious,” said Smith, noting that she was one of the only masked attendees at a recent Guster concert in Philadelphia.
Bias
(75%)
The article expresses a lack of concern or urgency regarding Covid-19, implying that it is no longer a top priority for public health establishments. The authors use language such as 'barely any federal pressure to limit transmission' and 'little data to even declare a surge'. They also mention that people are no longer advised to isolate after testing positive and free tests are hard to come by. These statements suggest a bias towards downplaying the severity of Covid-19.
By now, Americans are headed into another summer with new coronavirus variants and a likely uptick in cases. But public interest seems driven more by the name than the biological features of the variants, which appear unremarkable beyond the expected evolution of a virus to infect people more easily.
People are no longer advised to isolate for five days after testing positive. Free tests are hard to come by.
The public health establishment no longer treats covid as a top priority.
