[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Infectious Disease ping - A summer surge of the Covid variant, EG.5, has been identified by the CDC as contributing to increased number of hospitalizations this week
Conjecture is that the heat this summer, and increased use of air conditioning in confined places have contributed to this summer surge

(From the article): " COVID hospital admissions during the week ending Saturday, July 29, increased 12.5 percent over the previous week, according to CDC data.
In addition, visits to the emergency room were up more than 21.8 percent, and the positive test percentage increased 1.3 percent."

"One of the causes of the trend could be excessive heat, which is sending people indoors into air-conditioned settings.
The US has seen increases in COVID each of the last three summers, and this year's increases in cases and hospitalizations are notably lower than the surge in the summer of 2022 fueled by the BA.5 Omicron subvariant.
A new variant, EG.5, is causing about 17 percent of cases nationwide, with about 16 percent of cases linked to the XBB.1.16 strain known as Arcturus,
according to CDC estimates."

" Arcturus was first identified in March of this year."

[little jeremiah]

” Arcturus was first identified in March of this year.”
~~~~~~~

Correction:

” Arcturus was first let loose by the CDC in March of this year.”