As the new FLiRT family of coronavirus subvariants takes hold, early signs are pointing to a summer jump in cases. COVID deaths have continued to decline: For the 12-month period that ended at the start of spring, there were about 66,000 deaths nationally, half as many as the prior comparable period. And that is significantly down from the prior year, when there were 438,000 COVID-19 deaths between spring 2021 and winter 2021–22. Hudson said she is seeing most new COVID-19 cases among outpatients, rather than those needing hospitalization. But there are indications of an earlier-than-normal start to the COVID summer season.

Source: Los Angeles Times June 01, 2024 20:51 UTC