Concerned or casual about new COVID?

Given the recent large uptick in California COVID-19 cases, with a new viral variant in the air, are you concerned — or feeling pretty casual about it?

That’s our Question of the Week for readers.

Whichever side you are on — or a different in-between — there isn’t any question that coronavirus cases are on the rise compared to the summer and fall.

Nor is there a question that this has been the case every winter ever since the beginnings of the disease in 2019. And, yes, thankfully there seem to be fewer cases this winter — Los Angeles County, for instance, is reporting cases of the highly infectious viral disease are at about 60% of last winter’s peak.

But those numbers are an estimate based on analysis of wastewater. With the worst of the global pandemic over, those who home-test positive for COVID are no longer required to report that to their health department.

If you’re worried about the new wave of cases, have you or family or friends come down with the disease?

Are you and yours treating that situation the same as you would have a few years ago — isolation at home until a negative test result — or going out into public before that?

Did you get the latest vaccination, available beginning this fall? “That’s probably one of the reasons we’re seeing quite a bit of disease,” says Dr. Kimberly Shriner, the Huntington Hospital infectious disease specialist. “I think people have kind of gotten that vaccine fatigue ... we’re probably under the impression that once they’ve had the first two or three that’s going to do it for life, but unfortunately it’s just gonna be like the flu” — with shots necessary every year, or, more likely, twice a year.

Does that work for you? Or do you bridle about that many inoculations?

Do you think that the vaccinations appear to be better at greatly mitigating symptoms of the disease rather than blocking it entirely? Will COVID be dangerous mostly for the elderly going forward? Will widespread mandatory mask requirements or even lockdowns again occur?

Email your thoughts to opinion@scng.com. Please include your full name and city or community of residence. Provide a daytime phone number (it will not be published).