Dear New York Tech Students, Faculty, and Staff: As of April 28, 2022, approximately 80.9 million cases of COVID-19 and 989,408 cumulative total deaths have been reported in the United States by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since the start of the pandemic. Over the past seven-day period, the state reporting the highest number of cases per 100,000 people is Vermont (328); South Carolina reported the least (0). In comparison, New York State has 262.1 cases per 100,000 (up from 201.6 two weeks ago), New York City has 188.3 (up from 181.6 two weeks ago), and Arkansas has 29.4 (up from 18.8 per 100,000 two weeks ago). Locally, Long Island’s seven-day average COVID-19 testing positivity rate is now 6.9 percent, compared with 4.5 percent for all boroughs of New York City. These percentages have continued to increase slowly over the past two weeks. In New York State, new hospitalizations—although relatively level—have increased to 1.5 per 100,000 people, up from 1.04 two weeks ago. The surveillance continuum for the coronavirus usually starts with increased transmission—demonstrated by increased cases, followed by increased hospitalizations, and finally, increased mortality (death) rate. In the past seven-day period, Oregon is the state with the highest mortality rate, at 4.6 deaths per 100,000 people, while North and South Carolina have the lowest, at 0. In comparison, Arkansas reports 0.7 deaths per 100,000, and New York State reports 0.6 deaths per 100,000. Nationally, mortality rates again are forecasted to “likely remain stable or have an uncertain trend over the next four weeks.” More than 574 million doses of COVID vaccines have been administered in the United States. As of April 28, 77.5 percent of the population has received at least one dose, 66.1 percent is now fully vaccinated, and 45.7 percent has received an additional booster. In New York State, 90.1 percent of the population has received at least one dose, and 76.8 percent is fully vaccinated. Overall, the rate of people receiving vaccines continues to decline. This week, Pfizer Inc. asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve the emergency use of its booster shot for children ages 5 to 11, based on data that demonstrated an increase in antibodies by 36 times. The vaccination data is important in light of a new CDC report that 60 percent of American adults and 75 percent of children have antibodies indicating that they have been infected with COVID-19. The combination of those vaccinated and those with a history of infection results in a very “immunologically capable” population. This, along with the decreased virulence of the BA,2 Omicron variant, has led to significantly reduced hospitalization and mortality rates. Due to many of these factors, Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s Chief Medical Advisor, is now suggesting that in the U.S., we are transitioning out of the “pandemic” phase and into a more “controlled endemic phase” in which the virus continues to circulate, but we do not have the devastating hospitalization rates or death rate of the past. This is not to suggest that a worldwide pandemic is not still happening or that national and local transmission has ceased. Even within the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris was recently infected. This week, approximately 10 members of the New York Tech community were infected (all off campus). This represents a slight uptick, but it demonstrates that the virus continues to circulate throughout the community. Fortunately, none of these infections has led to hospitalizations and are considered to be mild/moderate cases. All members of the New York Tech community are reminded to report to contacttracing@nyit.edu if they have tested positive for COVID-19. New York Tech continues to follow guidance from the CDC, which uses a combination of metrics—case rate per 100,000 people, new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people, and the percentage of staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19—to assign a specific county level of high, medium, or low risk. Based on these metrics, no counties in the New York City region (the five boroughs, Long Island, and Westchester) have reached the “high” category, in which masks are required indoors. Brooklyn, Queens, Suffolk County, and the Bronx are categorized as “low.” Richmond, Manhattan, Westchester, and Nassau Counties are categorized as “medium.” As previously planned, New York Tech will phase out the health screen next week, with the understanding that it could be reinstated (along with requiring people to wear masks on campus) should the Covid situation change significantly. The lead variant of concern presently is BA.2.12.1, the most rapidly growing variant at approximately 30 percent of the U.S. cases. Although BA.2 is still the most prevalent nationally, this new variant is growing more rapidly. In federal Region 2 (New York/New Jersey/Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands), BA2.12.1 represents 58.1 percent of the variants. While it has not led to an increase in hospitalizations or mortality, the New York State and New York City Health Departments are monitoring this situation closely. Covid remains a formidable public health concern that will be around in some form or other in the foreseeable future. Therefore, as previously shared, frequent handwashing, remaining at home and avoiding large crowds when ill, testing for Covid frequently, and isolation, as appropriate, are all prudent actions that we should incorporate into our lives to prevent the transmission of SARS Cov-2 as well as other communicable microbes. As a reminder, proof of vaccination for all New York Tech community members is still required. Please find more information about our vaccination and testing policies and how to upload proof of vaccination here. As always, those who may feel anxious or uneasy can reach out to Counseling and Wellness Services at our campuses in Long Island (516.686.7683) or New York City (212.261.1773) to talk or make a virtual appointment. Our medical students can reach out to NYITCOM’s Counseling and Wellness in Long Island (516.686.7636) or Arkansas (870.680.8839). Sincerely, Brian L. Harper M.D., M.P.H. Chief Medical Officer, NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine Copyright © 2022 New York Institute of Technology