According to an April 8 report from AARP health and medicine writer, Rachel Nania, “After weeks of steady decline, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are creeping back up. The U.S. is seeing, on average, 63,000 new coronavirus infections each day—about the same amount recorded in mid-July during the summer surge, or second wave—and an increasing number of Americans are being admitted to hospitals for COVID-19 treatment.”
Calling it a “fourth wave,” the report says that health experts are hopeful it will be different from previous peaks. The vaccines have proved highly effective at preventing severe COVID-19 illness since the “third wave” in January, when about 4,000 people died each day. Today’s average is around 700 deaths a day and declining as more people get vaccinated.”
What experts have discovered about the COVID-19 virus is that even with mild infections, there can be complications of “long COVID,” lingering symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, brain fog, and shortness of breath that can persist well after an infection.
The AARP report cited that “even as more Americans get vaccinated, [there] is the continued spread of new virus variants, some of which are more contagious and potentially more lethal. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky recently announced that the B.1.1.7. variant, first identified in the United Kingdom, is “now the most common lineage circulating in the United States. So far more than 16,000 reported COVID-19 cases have been caused by this variant, and spikes are occurring in a number of states, including California, CDC data show.” Other variants are circulating in the U.S. and more could emerge.
“Another factor that could determine whether current trends continue to climb is pandemic fatigue,” the report concludes. By people letting their guard down, “all of the progress that has been made can be reversed.”
The advice remains the same if we want to avoid a fourth wave: get vaccinated, continue wearing a mask in public, keep a safe distance from others, wash your hands often, and avoid crowded and poorly ventilated spaces.
For the latest coronavirus news and advice: AARP.org/coronavirus
10 Ways to Protect Your Brain Health During COVID-19
In its latest report, AARP’s Global Council on Brain Health recommends 10 steps older adults can take to protect their brain health during the pandemic.
• Consider getting the vaccine as soon as you are able
• Stay physically active
• Maintain a balanced diet
• Stay socially connected
• Maintain a regular sleep schedule
• Stimulate your brain
• Don’t put off necessary medical appointments
• Take care of your mental health
• Pay attention to signs of sudden confusion
• Monitor changes in brain health
Source: COVID-19 and Brain Health: The Global Council on Brain Health’s Recommendations on What to Do Now.
