In assessing the state of the pandemic in the US, the Christian Science Monitor finds that something new is emerging around the country: "a sense of cautious optimism." That's mostly because of a sharp decline in cases in recent weeks, though there's plenty of potential trouble on the horizon as well—including signs that the decline in cases has stopped and fears of what the New York Times calls a "fourth wave." Coverage:
- The decline: The US saw about 250,000 new cases a day in early January, and the figure had dropped to about 54,000 in late February, per the CSM. The Times notes a 35% drop in cases this month, plus a 31% decline in hospitalizations. Deaths were dropping as well, though not as fast (16%), with 3,210 recorded on Wednesday.
- Which means? Those stats lead Apoorva Mandavilli of the Times to write: "Is this it, then? Is this the beginning of the end? After a year of being pummeled by grim statistics and scolded for wanting human contact, many Americans feel a long-promised deliverance is at hand." Mandavilli interviewed 21 scientists, and most thought the worst was behind us. "This summer, they said, life may begin to seem normal again."