Dr. Stephanie Silvera Notes 2nd COVID-19 Wave May Not Peak Until Early 2021
Posted in: College News and Events, Public Health
Dr. Stephanie Silvera, Professor in the Public Health Department, noted in an article for NJ.com that New Jersey’s second COVID-19 wave may not peak until early next year.
Silvera noted that the state is already seeing numbers increase while the weather is still relatively nice and people are still gathering outdoors. But the weather, she said, will get colder and the winter holidays are approaching.
“If people are still gathering, I think it’s entirely possible, we won’t peak until sometime in February, March,” Dr. Silvera said.
Additionally, Dr. Silvera said the number of new cases could get as high as they were in the spring, but more people are likely to survive because the state can identify cases earlier with increased testing and hospitals are now more successful with treatment strategies.
The biggest concern, she said, is hospitalization rates.
“If the number starts to increase, it can put a strain on the state’s healthcare system,” Dr. Silvera said.