MADISON, WI (WTAQ) — While COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin still remain at critically high levels, numbers are dropping quickly.
The Omicron variant surge appears to be on its way out. DHS Bureau of Infectious Diseases Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ryan Westergaard says the virus is likely to become endemic.
“The phrase ‘endemic’ means we’ve sort of hit a steady state of transmission,” Westergaard said Thursday. “I think that’s likely to happen in the next year.”
Endemic diseases, like the flu, are common and cyclical illnesses. Just as health officials encourage people to wash their hands during flu season, Westergaard anticipates similar guidance ebbing and flowing for COVID-19 in the future.
“When there’s low levels of transmission, people will no longer need to wear masks,” he said. “When the virus is transmitting at high levels, its in the collective interest to wear a mask while you’re out, but when there’s lower transmission, it’s less urgent.”
A number of countries around the world, including Thailand and Denmark, have already moved towards declaring COVID-19 an endemic virus.
The seven-day average of new cases in Wisconsin has fallen to 4,679, with 4,781 being confirmed on Wednesday. The seven-day average of deaths fell to 22, with 19 being reported on Wednesday. 1,346,588 cases have been reported in Wisconsin since the pandemic began, along with 11,293 deaths.
