New Hampshire may be on the other side of COVID-19 peak

Monitor staff

Published: 1/24/2022 4:35:23 PM

Modified: 1/24/2022 4:34:06 PM

The number of new COVID-19 infections appears to be on the decline in New Hampshire. Still, the state is far from a pandemic respite.

New Hampshire, like many states, is in the throes of the worst COVID-19 surge to date. At this wave’s peak about two weeks ago, new daily cases topped 5,000— about five times higher than the peak last winter.

This wave of the pandemic has overrun hospitals and infected tens of thousands of people. The actual number of infected Granite Staters is likely higher than reported, as the results of most rapid test results are not reported to the state.

This season’s exponential spike in cases is largely believed to be fueled by Omicron, a highly contagious variant of COVID-19. The N.H. Department of Health and Human Services has reported 448 cases of the Omicron variant but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the variant comprises more than 99% of cases in New England.

Though new cases are falling, hospitals may be in for a surge in the coming weeks. Increases in hospitalizations and deaths often lag weeks behind cases.

Public health officials still recommend wearing well-fitted masks in public areas. Surgical masks and KN95 masks offer better protection than cloth masks, according to the CDC. Approved N95 masks from the federal government will soon be available for free at local pharmacies, grocery stores and community health centers.

Staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines is still the best way to protect yourself from the virus.

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Teddy Rosenbluth is a Report for America corps member covering health care issues for the Concord Monitor since spring 2020. She has covered science and health care for Los Angeles Magazine, the Santa Monica Daily Press and UCLA's Daily Bruin, where she was a health editor and later magazine director. Her investigative reporting has brought her everywhere from the streets of Los Angeles to the hospitals of New Delhi. Her work garnered first place for Best Enterprise News Story from the California Journalism Awards, and she was a national finalist for the Society of Professional Journalists Best Magazine Article. She graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in psychobiology.