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The Virus Has “Virused” in Florida
Bottom Line: The old saying, the more things change, the more they stay the same – certainly applies to the trend of COVID-19 in Florida. As we’re set wrap up our third July since the onset of the pandemic, it appears we’re also set to wrap up our third summer with a July surge in cases. What’s remarkable is that given how much has changed – how consistent the trends have been from one year to the next. Consider these interesting dynamics which I’m comparing, using July 23rd as the comparative date (as it’s the most recent date we have complete weekly trend info to compare).
The weekly trend for daily cases:
- July 2020 (no vaccines, limited travel & mask mandates): 10,650
- July 2021 (vaccines, restricted travel options, fewer mandates): 10,550
- July 2022 (vaccines, unrestricted travel, no mandates): 10,828
Remarkably, from the most active July to the least, the top to bottom average in cases is only 278 cases per day. This is the ultimate illustration of COVID-19 very much being “a virus that’s going to virus”. Of course, this isn’t something that’s unique to Florida, because the virus is far from unique to us. Narratives, vaccines and guidance from health and government authorities has changed with time, however what hasn’t, is the trajectory of the virus at any point since the onset of the pandemic. There are two sides to stories and one side to facts. These are the facts.