President Biden didn’t say much about COVID — but the CDC did

In last night’s State of the Union address President Biden used the word “COVID” only one time and “pandemic” four times, including noting that “the pandemic no longer controls our lives.”  

This is in stark contrast to Biden’s 2022 State of the Union, which referenced “COVID” 23 times and “pandemic” 11 times.

While COVID-19 hospitalization rates have not yet returned to last summer’s lows, they have been declining for seven straight weeks both nationally and here in Minnesota.  

The most recent data on the two other major respiratory diseases shows a third week of leveling out in hospitalizations from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), although the general trend seems to be a decline in that seasonal illness. The influenza trendline is a bit less clear, however, with the latest weekly hospitalization rate (4.5 per 100,000) still lingering not far below the apparent seasonal peak at the end of December (5.4 per 100,000).  

The Minnesota Department of Health has not reported new measles cases beyond the three cases reported last month. So far the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is only reporting eight cases nationwide during the last two weeks in February, following the relative national spike of 16 cases reported during the first two weeks of February. 

65+ can get another dose of the COVID vaccine  

The CDC recently made two important policy changes related to COVID-19. First, on Feb. 28 the CDC recommended that adults ages 65 and older receive an additional dose of the most recently-issued COVID-19 vaccine (the 2023–24 updated vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax that were made available in September and October 2023). 

This opportunity may be welcome news to the 59 percent of Minnesotans 65 and older who have received the latest COVID-19 vaccine, some of whom may have received it more than four months ago. 

This follows the CDC’s earlier recommendation that “People aged 6 months and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may get additional updated COVID-19 vaccine doses 2 or more months after the last recommended COVID-19 vaccine.” 

COVID-19 isolation guidelines relaxed by CDC 

The second recent COVID-19 policy change, issued March 1, has to do with isolation following COVID-19 infection. Originally, the CDC had advised at least 10 days of isolation, later shortening that guideline to at least five days. Now, according to new CDC guidance, those whose symptoms and fever subside need only isolate themselves for 24 hours before returning to their normal activities.  

In issuing this guidance the CDC explicitly noted that “some people remain contagious beyond the [new] ‘stay-at-home' period” and therefor they are encouraging people coming out of isolation to use added prevention strategies for five days, “such as taking more steps for cleaner air, enhancing your hygiene practices, wearing a well-fitting mask, keeping a distance from others, and/or getting tested for respiratory viruses.” 

This relaxation is not without controversy. To date the Minnesota Department of Health’s published guidelines still indicate (in part) that those who are infected with COVID-19 should wear a well-fitting mask for at least 10 days from onset and stay at home for at least five full days or 10 full days if you are unable to wear a mask.  

The department’s website notes, “MDH is working to review the [new] CDC guidance and update our website as appropriate.”  

Both the CDC and MDH continue to emphasize the importance of home testing as a tool for preventing the spread of COVID-19 if you have been exposed, are feeling sick or know you will be in close contact with someone who is especially vulnerable.

Wastewater shows recent COVID uptick, especially in Central Minnesota 

Wastewater analysis, which has often proven to be a predictor of COVID-19 cases, shows a statewide weekly increase of nine percent for the latest finalized data, which goes through Feb. 28. Four of the wastewater study’s seven regions show an increase in COVID-19 this week. The central region had the largest increase, of 63 percent. Looking over the prior month, however, there is a statewide decrease of 12 percent in COVID-19 levels measured in Minnesota’s wastewater.

COVID-19 mortality: Still with us 

According to the latest data, a total of 15,868 Minnesotans have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, including 299 confirmed so far in 2024. Minnesota’s COVID-19 rate through January remained about four times higher than the rates seen by the state in the summer of 2023 — but much lower than earlier waves of the pandemic.

While most of the deaths are among older adults, there are exceptions. For example, the 181 COVID-19 deaths reported by MDH for January included one death in the 18 to 48 age bracket and eight others among those aged 50 to 64. 

Since changing patterns in COVID-19 death rates typically lag but mirror hospitalization trends, the number of deaths may start to decline soon in Minnesota following the recent drop in COVID-19 hospital admissions.

Correction (March 11, 2024): The Minnesota Department of Health is no longer sending households free COVID tests.

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