New York, July 20 (RHC)-- In the United States, COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths are continuing to rise.  Officially, the U.S. is recording about 125,000 new cases each day, but public health officials warn that’s only a small fraction of the true number of infections — with most positive at-home tests going unreported. 

The latest surge is being driven by the fast-spreading BA.5 Omicron subvariant, which is adept at reinfecting people who’ve recovered from a previous bout of COVID.  The surge also comes as much of the U.S. has abandoned public health measures like physical distancing and masking in public.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has announced that he will retire by the end of President Biden’s first term in office.  Fauci is 81 and recently recovered from COVID-19.