White House predicts rise in COVID cases this coming winter

Ashish Jha
(Image credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha has warned that the U.S. should be prepared for a spike in COVID cases this coming winter due to more indoor gatherings, reports NPR. The warning comes as Europe has started to see a rise in cases again, a pattern that will likely also reach the U.S.

The U.S. has seen a rise in COVID cases each winter for the last two years, and should expect annual surges similar to the flu, Jha explained in a White House press briefing. There are also at least three new subvariants the White House is reportedly tracking, which seem to evade immunity. However, the new COVID boosters should be quite effective in preventing infection, Jha told NPR.

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Devika Rao, The Week US

 Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.