SOUTHFIELD (WWJ) - COVID-19 numbers have dropped rapidly in Michigan and across the country in the last month, as the Omicron variant relinquishes its hold on the population.
And while the downward trend has many asking is this marks the end of the pandemic in our state, WWJ Health Reporter Dr. Deanna Lites says "not so fast."
"Unfortunately we are still in the pandemic," Dr. Lites told WWJ's Zach Clark on Friday. "We still need to keep our guards up regarding COVID-19. We're not even near the endemic phase yet, according to experts I talk to."
Lites noted that with cases, hospitalization and death numbers all dropping, the state health department has declared Michigan in the "post-surge recovery phase." Health officials expect, however that "there will be more variants of concern without doubt," Lites said, and that's why all Michiganders should continue to consider the virus a threat.
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A Metro Detroit mother of four, Christine Nazareth-Haupt, told Clark that her family is still playing it safe.
She said the easing of COVID restrictions is scary when you have a family member or loved one who is immunocompromised, like her 2-year-old son Carter, born during the pandemic.
As schools and communities have begun dropping mask mandates in the last couple of weeks, Nazareth-Haupt fears her other kids or visitors may bring the virus to Carter, who lives with a congenital heart defect.
"If he were to get COVID, I don't know what that would look like in him, so we have to help do our part to flatten the curve and keep that curve flattened," Nazareth-Haupt said.
"We are already worried about other things for Carter, we don't want to have to worry about COVID too on top of it... it's so draining."
Get the latest information on the coronavirus in Michigan, including case numbers, testing locations and where to get a vaccine, at this link.
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