Get the context for new COVID data as fight over future mandates ramps up

Sep 07, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Ian Kennedy (Video Editor), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

The amount of COVID-19 cases are on the rise, however they are still at a seasonal low. Data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has been interpreted multiple different ways.

The latest data available — updated by the CDC on Tuesday, Sept. 5 — shows a gradual increase in weekly hospitalizations from the first week of this year to the last week of August, and a 16% increase week over week.

However, an uptick in COVID-19 is typical for this time of year. Compared to previous years, the amount of cases is actually at an all time seasonal low.

This increase is caused by multiple factors. School is back in session, creating a greater likelihood of transmission. Furthermore, new variants are normal in the fall.

Using the same data but extending the timeframe back to the start of 2021 shows the different COVID-19 waves. Weekly hospitalizations year over year are down 53%, and weekly hospitalizations from 2021 to 2023 are down 80%. The data set shows that seasonal hospitalizations have dramatically declined.

The previous data trends show that cases typically taper off in September, however some media outlets are reporting that this year is different. For example, NBC released a headline that reads, “All signs point to a rise in COVID.”

Mixed predictions on the future of COVID-19 in the headlines is bringing back debates on mask mandates, with different schools and workplaces both opposing and promoting bringing the mandates back.

The City Council in Huntington Beach, California, just banned mask and vaccine mandates within its city limits.

Senate Republicans are looking to do something similar at a federal level by introducing the Freedom to Breathe Act, which would ban mask mandates in schools, airplanes and on public transportation.

Mandates and masking has become largely politicized, and each side can interpret data from the CDC to defend their arguments.

Some reports argue that the data suggests an increase in cases, which they say justifies the reinstatement of mask mandates. Other reports interpret the data as indicating that cases are at a near low, leading them to conclude that masks may not be necessary.

Tags: CDC, COVID-19, masks, Vaccine mandate

COVID CASES ARE ON THE RISE – BUT COVID IS ALSO AT AN ALL-TIME SEASONAL LOW – DEPENDING ON HOW YOU BREAK DOWN THE CDC DATA.

WHICH WE THINK YOU SHOULD SEE FOR YOURSELF RATHER THAN JUST READING HEADLINES ABOUT IT.

WE’RE GOING TO SHOW YOU A FEW DIFFERENT GRAPHS. THIS ONE IS WEEKLY HOSPITALIZATIONS FROM THE FIRST WEEK OF THIS YEAR –

TO THE LAST WEEK IN AUGUST — USING THE LATEST DATA AVAILABLE – UPDATED BY THE C-D-C ON TUESDAY.

THERE HAS BEEN A GRADUAL INCREASE SINCE THE SUMMER MONTHS. AND A 16 PERCENT INCREASE WEEK OVER WEEK.

BASED ON THIS DATA SET – HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE ON THE RISE.

WHAT THIS GRAPH LACKS – IS THE BIGGER PICTURE.

AN UPTICK IN COVID IS TYPICAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. SCHOOL IS BACK IN SESSION – SO A GREATER LIKELIHOOD OF TRANSMISSION. AND NEW VARIANTS ARE NORMAL IN THE FALL. COMPARED TO YEARS PAST,

COVID IS CURRENTLY AT AN ALL TIME SEASONAL LOW.

USING THE SAME DATA SET BUT EXTENDING IT BACK TO THE START OF 20-21 – YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT COVID WAVES.

COMPARING HOSPITALIZATIONS IN AUGUST FROM 20-21 TO 20-22 AND 20-23 – THIS AUGUST LOOKED MORE LIKE A RIPPLE THAN A WAVE.

WEEKLY HOSPITALIZATIONS YEAR OVER YEAR ARE DOWN 53 PERCENT.

WEEKLY HOSPITALIZATIONS FROM 2021 TO 2023 ARE DOWN 80 PERCENT.

BASED ON THIS DATA SET – YOU CAN SEE SEASONAL HOSPITALIZATIONS HAVE DRAMATICALLY DECLINED.

BASED ON PAST DATA TRENDS YOU JUST SAW – CASES TYPICALLY TAPER OFF IN SEPTEMBER.

BUT SOME MEDIA OUTLETS ARE REPORTING THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT.

TAKE NBC FOR EXAMPLE. THIS HEADLINE READS “ALL SIGNS POINT TO A RISE IN COVID.”

COVID BACK IN THE HEADLINES HAS SOME SCHOOLS AND WORKPLACES BRINGING BACK MASK MANDATES –

AND HAS OTHERS MANDATING – NO MORE COVID MANDATES.

IN HUNTINGTON BEACH CALIFORNIA – THE CITY COUNCIL JUST BANNED MASK AND VACCINE MANDATES WITHIN THEIR CITY LIMITS.

AND SENATE REPUBLICANS ARE LOOKING TO DO A SIMILAR THING AT A FEDERAL LEVEL –

INTRODUCING THE “FREEDOM TO BREATHE ACT” THIS WEEK.

THE LEGISLATION WOULD BAN MASK MANDATES IN SCHOOLS, AIRPLANES, AND ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

WHILE MANDATES AND MASKING UP HAS BECOME LARGELY POLITICIZED – EACH SIDE CAN PRESENT DIFFERENT DATA TO DEFEND THEIR ARGUMENT. WHETHER IT BE WEAR A MASK, CASES ARE RISING. OR YOU DON’T NEED ONE, CASES ARE AT A NEAR LOW.

BOTH ARE TRUE. DEPENDING ON HOW YOU **CHOOSE TO PERCEIVE THE DATA.