What’s happening?
Covid-19 cases are rising across the Northeast, including Maryland, Meredith Cohn reports for the Baltimore Sun. Although many public health experts don’t expect this wave to be as severe as last winter, the Maryland Department of Health reported on May 20 426 hospitalizations and over 3,000 cases—the highest number of cases in one day since Jan. 28, 2022.
What should you do to prepare for the surge in cases?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended on Thursday that individuals in the Northeast should resume masking when inside and in crowded places. Though Baltimore City and other counties in Maryland have only moderate community spread at this time, some experts recommend residents follow these precautions.
In a memo published on Friday, the Maryland Department of Health also announced its updated guidance on covid-19 vaccines and booster eligibility for kids ages five to 11. Those infected with covid-19 can also request treatment, including monoclonal antibody therapy and oral antivirals like Paxlovid, said Dr. Brian Garibaldi, medical director for the Johns Hopkins’ Biocontainment Unit.
Anything else I should know?
As of last week, a million people in the United States have died from covid-19.
You can read more here.
