Dear New York Tech Students, Faculty, and Staff: As of September 2, 2022, there are approximately 94.49 million cases of COVID-19 and 1,041,816 cumulative total deaths have been reported in the United States by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since the start of the pandemic. Over the past seven-day period, the state reporting the highest number of cases per 100,000 people is West Virginia (351.5), while Vermont reported the least (70.4). By comparison, New York State was at 137.6, New York City at 180.3, and Arkansas at 228.3. Locally, Long Island's seven-day average COVID-19 testing positivity rate is now at 8.1 percent, compared to 4.5 percent for all the New York City boroughs. Throughout the state, new hospitalizations have decreased to 1.71 per 100,000 people from 1.9 two weeks ago. The surveillance continuum for the coronavirus usually starts with increased transmission—demonstrated by increased cases, followed by increased hospitalizations, and finally increased mortality rate (rate of death). In the last seven-day period, New Mexico is the state with the highest mortality rate, at 3.5 deaths per 100,000 people, while North Carolina has the lowest mortality rate at 0.1. By comparison, Arkansas is at 1.2 and New York State is at 0.5. Nationally, it is being forecasted that "the number of newly reported COVID-19 deaths will remain stable or have an uncertain trend over the next four weeks, with 1,800 to 4,900 new deaths likely reported in the week ending September 24, 2022." The vaccine rollout continues, with more than 610 million doses administered in the United States. In addition, 79.2 percent of the population has received at least one dose, 67.5 percent are now fully vaccinated, and 48.5 percent have received one additional booster, as of August 31, 2022. By comparison, as of August 31, 2022, the CDC reports that 92 percent of the total population of New York State has received at least one dose and 78.5 percent are fully vaccinated. However, there continues to be a decreasing trend in the number of people being vaccinated. Following FDA approval earlier this week, the CDC recommended the use of redesigned COVID-19 booster shots for people age 12 years and older to target the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants of the coronavirus. This is particularly important because as of September 2, 2022, the most rapidly growing variant, BA.5, now represents 88.6 percent of all cases in the United States. Specifically, in federal Region 2 (New York/New Jersey/Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands), BA.5 represents 87.1 percent of the variants. The hope is that these new vaccines will help boost immunity as we approach the winter months. For those who have been recently infected, the chances are high that it may have been a BA.5 or BA.4 variant. Therefore, it still may be reasonable to wait up to three months before receiving this updated vaccine to maximize the booster effect. As always, these options should be discussed with a healthcare provider. The CDC still recommends following "Community COVID Levels," which use a combination of metrics—1) case rate per 100,000 population; 2) new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 population; and 3) the percentage of staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19—to assign levels of high, medium, or low risk. As of August 25, 2022, the good news is that all five boroughs of New York City are now considered "low risk." Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester counties are now in the "medium risk" category. Therefore, mask-wearing is no longer routinely recommended indoors in any of these counties and there remain no state or local mandates in regards to mask-wearing. Monkeypox continues to spread mostly through close, intimate contact with someone who is infected. Patients who are infected may remain contagious until the rashes resolve, which can last up to four weeks. This can create challenges for self-isolation. On August 30, 2022, a Texas resident diagnosed with monkeypox died, marking the first reported death of a person diagnosed with the virus in the United States during the 2022 outbreak. This is very unfortunate, though deaths from monkeypox remain rare. It should also be noted this individual had other significant medical problems. As of September 2, 2022, there are 19,9625 confirmed cases in the United States, with 3,403 cases occurring in New York State. In New York City, the health department has a website to learn more and obtain information on vaccine availability. Nassau County and Suffolk County also maintain websites. As a reminder, please note that all members of the New York Tech community must continue to report to contacttracing@nyit.edu if they have tested positive for COVID-19. As always, those who may feel anxious or uneasy can reach out to Counseling and Wellness Services at our campuses in Long Island (516.686.7683) or New York City (212.261.1773) to talk or make a virtual appointment. Our medical students can reach out to NYITCOM's Counseling and Wellness in Long Island (516.686.7636) or Arkansas (870.680.8839). Sincerely, Brian L. Harper, M.D., M.P.H. Chief Medical Officer, NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine Vice President, Equity and Inclusion Copyright © 2022 New York Institute of Technology