Dr. Osterholm Warns of New Covid-19 Surge in U.S.

Posted on April 7, 2021

Dr. Michael Osterholm, a leading epidemiologist and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, is warning that the U.S. is in the early stages of a new Covid-19 surge. The early signs of the surge are the rising cases and hospitalizations in the Midwest and Northeast.

Osterholm is quoted by Slate as saying on Meet the Press, “In terms of the United States, we’re just at the beginning of this surge. We haven’t even really begun to see it yet.”

Michigan is seeing a rise in Covid-19 cases that includes hospitalization of younger people in their 30s and 50s. The Covid variants are known for hitting younger people harder than the initial Covid-19 virus that swept the globe.

The Michigan Covid-19 data on Woldometer shows the state’s latest spike in cases is reaching the peak of the winter 2020 spike.

EARLIER: “We are just at the beginning of this surge, we haven’t even really begun to see it yet,” says @mtosterholm on #MTP

“We are now seeing increasing number of severe illnesses [and] ICU hospitalizations in individuals 30 to 50 years of age who have not been vaccinated.” pic.twitter.com/5KlflS2MoW

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 4, 2021

People who have not yet received a vaccination – or are not fully vaccinated – are the most at risk from the new variants. Millions are getting vaccinated daily but there are concerns this level will ebb and leave a significant percentage of the U.S. population unvaccinated. There are also large numbers of people failing to get a much needed second dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

Osterholm was also a discussing a surge on Morning Joe on April 2nd.