Just a few months ago, as public health officials pushed for Americans to line up for a newly formulated COVID-19 vaccine, the message was dire – hospitalizations were supposedly on the rise, and the nation was headed for a seasonal “tripledemic” of Covid, Influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

Last week, the same health experts told people to treat Covid just like any other viral respiratory crud.

No longer must people who test positive for COVID-19 isolate for five days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The new guidance brings a unified approach to addressing risks from a range of common respiratory viral illnesses, such as COVID-19, flu, and RSV, which can cause significant health impacts and strain on hospitals and health care workers. CDC is making updates to the recommendations now because the U.S. is seeing far fewer hospitalizations and deaths associated with COVID-19 and because we have more tools than ever to combat flu, COVID, and RSV,” the new guidance said.

When the new CDC director warned of a new rash of Covid hospitalizations, she provided no data to back that up, and no credible evidence was present in official hospitalization statistics. In fact, the numbers being published by the CDC each week bore no resemblance to actual hospitalizations happening in Indian River County.

Despite the CDC warnings in late 2023, only about 10 percent of Indian River County residents, almost exclusively people age 65 and older, got the new jabs – for some people their sixth shot since December 2020. Nationwide fewer than 20 percent of people opted to update their vaccination status.

Each new subvariant of COVID-19 evolves with characteristics that make it better equipped to break through vaccine protection, as the development of the shots can lag a year or longer behind mutations of the virus. So technically, Americans are the least protected right now than we’ve been in four years. Seems like an odd time to do away with the recommended five-day period for people who test positive for COVID-19 to stay home, recuperate and not spread it.

Both Indian River County and Florida Covid cases are declining, with only 46 cases last week locally, down from 129 right after Christmas; and 8,300 statewide cases, down from more than 17,000 just after Christmas, despite Florida’s population being at its highest right now due to snowbird season.

CDC Director Mandy Cohen – the same person who furiously made the television, radio and podcast circuit last fall with dire, but unsubstantiated warnings about surging Covid hospitalizations – said on Friday, “Today’s announcement reflects the progress we have made in protecting against severe illness from COVID-19.”

Cohen also reminded people to use common sense to protect more vulnerable people such as elderly and immunocompromised people in their home or workplace from getting sick. During the first five days after testing positive, the CDC advises frequent hand-washing, and wearing a mask.

For seniors age 65 and older who feel they need some extra protection this spring, the CDC is recommending they receive yet another booster shot – provided it’s been at least four months since their last shot.