“I do not like this first wave/second wave language because I think it suggests to people a certain coordinated behavior of the epidemic, which implies you can relax,” Fortune said on the call in response to a question from The New York Times. “The way it’s playing out in the U.S. is very local.” Fortune added that using these terms implies that once the country has been through a first wave and second wave of the epidemic that means we are now “somehow free,” which she says “isn’t super accurate.” That’s because different areas of the country—whether it be at the regional, state, or local community level—are experiencing outbreaks that vary in terms of severity, as well as from a chronological perspective. Instead of a nationwide first wave, we first saw initial isolated outbreaks in places like New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, and then, most recently, a wave in the American south. RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb “What we are having are are little waves everywhere, which are communities going through truncated first waves,” Fortune explained to Best Life on the press call. “That’s looking like oscillating wavelength behavior.” She again expressed her issue with using wave terminology, adding, “I don’t love ‘second wave.’ Communities have to be aware that, at this point, we always have to keep vigilant.” What does that mean in terms of your risk of contracting coronavirus? “We should consider ourselves always at risk until we have herd immunity or a vaccine,” Fortune said. And if you want to know how you might be exposed to the virus, You’re More Likely to Get COVID Through the Air Than This Way, Doctor Says.
