At least 174,455 new cases were reported between August 19 and August 25, up from 169,217 the week before (+3%) and the highest since March 3. Those figures were collected from state health departments and, where necessary, estimated based on hospital admissions.
Actual case numbers are higher because many hospitals and states are no longer reporting detailed COVID data. Laboratory testing is also low as most people and doctors are using at-home tests which are not included in official statistics.
1,075 new COVID deaths were reported during the week, the second week in a row with more than 1,000 new deaths. It’s also the seventh week in a row with more than 500 new deaths and the 232nd week with more than 400 new deaths.
So far this year, nearly 4.8 million COVID cases have been reported across the U.S., causing at least 340,153 hospitalizations (limited data) and 37,301 deaths, according to BNO’s COVID data tracker.
We couldn't even normalize mask use while sick.
People think this is fine, so we have to wait until there are vaccines that stop transmission, or prevent it from getting in the bloodstream. There's a few in the works, but since "covid is over" there doesn't seem to be a rush.
In the meantime we have to hope that no crazy new variant appears that completely bypasses an immune response from previous exposure/vaccines and restarts the worst of it.