The Early Winter Forecast: Chilly with a Chance of COVID

As temperatures fall in much of the United States new hospitalizations for COVID-19 are expected to start climbing again, according to projections from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And, as reported in Becker’s Hospital Review, a forecast from the Mayo Clinic says we can expect a steep but short-lived 51.5% increase in new cases between now and December 2. It seems likely, then, that urgent care centers will see an increase in patients presenting with symptoms concerning for SARS-CoV-2. Ensure you have the necessary supplies on hand and encourage your team to have their vaccinations up to date if they don’t already. As of this writing, 22 states are petitioning the federal government to ditch the mandate that all healthcare workers be fully vaccinated against the virus.