Hi everyone, as another holiday season arrives and this year comes to an end, we reflect on how the world of public health has been challenged this past year.

We're thankful to have been able to provide you with this podcast for the last 12 months, and with a new and improved recently launched website.

Donations from listeners like you allow us to continue to be innovative and maintain a full-time seasoned editorial staff dedicated to producing the freely available news resources that you depend on.

To support this podcast and our other news offerings, please visit cidrap.umn.edu forward slash support.

Thank you and happy holidays.

Hello and welcome to the Ostrome Update COVID-19, a podcast on the COVID-19 pandemic with Dr. Michael Ostrome.

Dr. Ostrome is an internationally recognized medical detective and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy or CIDRAP at the University of Minnesota.

In this podcast, Dr. Ostrome will draw on more than 45 years of experience investigating infectious disease outbreaks to provide straight talk on the COVID-19 pandemic.

I'm Chris Dahl, reporter for CIDRAP News, and I'm your host for these conversations.

Welcome back everyone to another episode of the Ostrome Update podcast.

While COVID-19 activity throughout the fall was fairly steady, the anticipated winter surge appears to have arrived.

In the past week, the daily average of reported COVID-19 cases has risen by more than 50 percent.

And while we know that cases aren't the most reliable measure, hospitalizations and deaths are also climbing.

This upswing in COVID-19 adds to what has become a busy season for respiratory viruses.

U.S. hospitalizations for flu are at the highest point they've been at in more than a decade, and respiratory sensitial virus activity remains high, although it appears to have peaked.

Amid the rise in COVID-19 in flu cases, officials in New York and Los Angeles have recommended that people mask up and indoor public spaces and crowded outdoor spaces.

At the same time, COVID-19 is not presenting the same challenge as it did in December 2020 or 2021.

Is this phase that we're in right now, where SARS-CoV-2 seems to be battling out with other viruses, a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic?

That's what we'll be discussing on this December 15 episode of the podcast, as we assess the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We'll also discuss the Chinese government's decision to ease up on its zero COVID policy, answer our COVID query about KN95 masks, and share a beautiful moment.

And stay tuned at the end for a special holiday treat.

But before we get started, as always, we'll begin with Dr. Ostrome's opening comments and dedication.

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