The most recent week’s worth of official COVID-related data once again shows relatively little change from the previous week.
This week’s composite chart suggests that the post-holiday-season decline in Ontario’s PCR COVID test positivity rate has mostly run its course, with minimal change from the previous week. The actual rate is almost identical to that of last year at this time. Ontario COVID hospitalizations and ICU bed occupancy are likewise closely tracking last year’s, which suggests that there has been no real increase or decrease in pandemic severity over that period. My take-home message from that is to continue taking the same precautionary measures, which have thus far kept me COVID-free.
The more independent Canadian COVID-19 forecast also suggests that, during the first half of February, national pandemic severity dropped from its seasonally-high January levels, with Ontario overtaking Quebec as the most severely impacted province.
The latest US Centers for Disease Control analysis of currently-circulating COVID variants reveals relatively little change in the respective “market shares” of the more dominant strains. The recombinant XEC strain retains the top position at 37% of all new US infections, but is in a slow decline. The number two LP.8.1 is rapidly catching up, having soared from only 9% to 31% over the past eight weeks. While all significant currently-circulating strains are Omicron JN.1 derivatives, none of the others are spreading anywhere nearly as quickly.