SPOKANE, Wash. — According to UW health metrics model, the U.S. should have hit its peak number of daily infections on Jan. 3. Washington would have hit its peak daily infections on Jan. 16.
But what does this mean for the future of the pandemic? Dr. Ali Mokdad said it could be the beginning of the end.
Mokdad said that while there is a light at the end of the tunnel, there are still some steps before getting there.
"The next three months are going to be the hardest," Mokdad said. "On infections, cases, hospitalizations, it's going to get really worse before it gets better."
But Mokdad said the end is in sight. He predicts we could see the end of the pandemic near March or April, but this doesn't mean COVID is gone for good.
"COVID will become more manageable like all of our other endemics, influenza, measles, et cetera," Mokdad said. "The same way we get yearly flu shots, it'll be like that for COVID."
According to a Feb. 12 Facebook live, Dr. Velasquez of Spokane Regional Health said the case peak for western Washington is expected by the end of the month.
He said eastern Washington typically follows western trends about two to three weeks behind, but these peaks will start an overall decline in the rate of infections.