NYT Is the city in another Covid wave? Where can you get a test? Should you be wearing a mask? And what if you end up sick?
Do you know a friend or co-worker who has recently come down with Covid? Do you have a sore throat or sniffles yourself?
Figuring out whether Covid is rising in the city — and whether you might have come down with it — has become trickier lately as the pandemic response winds down. What is clear is that the city is experiencing a new wave, with nearly 700 cases recorded in mid-August. The number of cases appears to be lower than it was during the previous two summers’ waves, but it is undoubtedly an undercount since many people are relying on at-home tests.
Even if getting an accurate picture of the extent of the pandemic is more difficult these days, it is still possible to find tests and get treatment, often for free. Here is what to do and where to go if you are worried you might be sick.
How bad is the current Covid wave?
This summer has seen a rise in cases, but it has not been as bad as the previous two summers.
New coronavirus cases have been steadily rising since July, according to data from the New York City Health Department. The seven-day average of total cases, which includes confirmed and probable cases, was 672 on Aug. 14, compared to 289 on May 16. Hospitalizations in the city have remained relatively low, however. About 40 people on average were hospitalized with Covid each day in mid-August, and more than 400 people were in the hospital with Covid at that point. Deaths have also remained relatively low, at about one a day, on average.