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Coronavirus Watch: Is this the fifth wave?

Grace Hauck   | Paste BN

It's getting colder. People are heading inside. And, for the first time in two months, COVID-19 case counts and deaths are rising in most U.S. states.

Does this mean we're in a fifth wave of the pandemic?

Paste BN's Elizabeth Weise spoke with experts to find out. They said it's too soon to know, but a combination of factors may be contributing to the surge.

It's Friday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's more news to know:

  • The Great Resignation shows no signs of slowing down. The number of Americans quitting their jobs edged up to 4.4 million in September, marking another all-time high after notching a record 4.3 million in August, according to the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey.
  • President Joe Biden plans to nominate former Commissioner Robert Califf as his head of the FDA.
  • Any Colorado resident 18 or older can receive a COVID-19 booster shot under an executive order Gov. Jared Polis signed Thursday, deviating from national recommendations.
  • Johnson & Johnson said Friday it would break into two companies, separating its retail products business from prescription drugs and medical devices.
  • More than 2.2 million home tests from Australian manufacturer Ellume are being recalled due to what the FDA says is an unacceptable rate of false positives.

Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 46.8 million COVID-19 cases and 759,900 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, there have been more than 252.2 million cases and more than 5 million deaths. About 68% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 59% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Among U.S. adults, 81% have received at least one shot, and about 70% are fully vaccinated.

Tracking the pandemic: See the numbers in your area here. See where cases are rising here. See vaccination rates here. And here, compare vaccinations rates worldwide and see which countries are using which vaccines.

– Grace Hauck, Paste BN breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck

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