A new COVID wave might be coming. Somehow we're not prepared.

The Week

It isn't meant to last. There are new signs that the United States might be about to experience another spike in COVID-19 cases. The CDC confirmed this week that wastewater sampling is showing increased amounts of virus in cities across the country and that a new Omicron subvariant is fueling a new wave of illness in Europe. Maybe we will not see a rise in hospitalizations and deaths again. This doesn't seem like a good time to let our guard down.

We are not prepared.

The White House and Congress are not able to agree on a new COVID relief bill that would provide fresh funding for testing, stocks of antiviral drugs for those who need them, and free vaccines for those who want them. Officials warn that the supplies and services will dry up very quickly without that money.

An administration official told ABC News that time is not on their side.

What is the holdup? There are arguments over how to pay the bill. The clear need to be ready if and when the pandemic gets vicious again is more important than the details of that debate. The United States cannot get this right. We have had enough practice by now.

Maybe our attention is diverted because of the war in Ukraine. The Omicron wave may have comforted us by decreasing hospitalizations and death rates. We decided that the virus is endemic and no longer worthy of emergency panic after two years.

These are not good excuses. The war might serve as a breeding ground for COVID and other viruses if it continues. The number of Americans who died of coronaviruses on Wednesday is still pretty high. The CDC says roughly 1,500 people have died of the flu this season. Even if the virus has become endemic, the federal government should not take any action.

One of the stories of the coronaviruses is that of American leaders getting caught with their pants down many times. The government was not ready for the original virus and was not ready for the Omicron spike that started late last year. It is a bipartisan problem. It leaves us staring at the possibility of another wave without our best defense in place.

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