Brutkey

katharine
@thatkatharine@ohai.social

Covid pandemic stuff at a glance - Winter 2026

49% OF COVID INFECTIONS ARE ASYMPTOMATIC, which means you may not know if you are actually sick. This is why it's important to take a multilayered approach (one or more of the following) to protect yourselves and others: N95 and KN95 masks HEPA air filtration Good ventilation (carbon dioxide ‹800 parts per million) Up-to-date vaccinations Rapid tests before gathering Attention to wastewater levels of COVID-19 Yale SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH Sources: The Lancet Regional Health, CDC infographic from Michael Hoerger labelled Jan. 12, 2026, SARS-CoV-2 New Daily Infections, Wastewater-Derived Estimates (U.S.). graph shows the waves of estimated Covid infections spanning 2020–2026. x-axis displays the years, y-axis shows numbers of daily infections. the first three waves, in 2020, early 2021, and mid-2021 show wave peaks estimated between 500,000 and 800,000 infections. the fourth wave, the rise of omicron, peaks over 5 million. the next seven wave peaks range between 1 million and 2.5 million. As of January 2026, the US is in its 12th Covid wave.. graphic shows profile of mouth and nose with orange dots emitting from nostrils and open mouth. Aerosols: These are respiratory droplets that are less than 100 micrometers in diameter that can remain suspended in the air for hours. 1,200 aerosols are released for each droplet. illustration shows aerosols and droplets travel distance from 0 to 40 cm. Droplets: These are particles that are larger than 300 micrometers and, due to air currents, fall to the ground in seconds.