And so it begins (again).

It's been a minute (or well...over a year) since I actually published a post on here. I've got probably half a dozen or more posts in various stages of drafting, but whether you blame the ADHD, the life of a busy working parent, or the general state of, well, everything, none of them made it all the way to me clicking that publish button.

And while I may go back and revisit some of those posts some day soon, today I decided to start over again with a new post.

Unfortunately, my posts are not the only thing starting back up.

COVID is revving back up as well, after a long lull where it was, though not gone, at least low enough for it to fade into the background a bit.

But alas all good things must come to an end. After many weeks with only 1-2 wastewater sites showing significant increases, that number jumped up to 15 two days ago and is still at 14 with yesterday's update: Brookfield, Clintonville, Fond du Lac, Hartford, Hayward, Kenosha, La Crosse, Marinette, Marshfield, Oconomowoc, Racine, Sheboygan, Stevens Point, and Watertown.

Watertown is actually a new addition on the list since yesterday, and Milwaukee (Jones Island) and Milwaukee (South Shore) came off the list because their increases, thankfully, did not continue to rise.

To be clear, the absolute numbers are still (relatively) low. We're not in a wave yet. But the best time to take precautions is BEFORE the bad thing happens! So just like you want to have a tornado action plan in place BEFORE the sirens go off, you want to get your precautions ready BEFORE the next wave really kicks off.

Luckily for all of us, back-to-school sales mean that there are actually some really great deals on respirators, CO2 monitors, and more going on right now!

• Aranet Sensor bundles are currently on sale for 20% off
• WellBefore is running a back-to-school sale of up to 15% off (K)N95 masks, plus you can subscribe and save up to 30%
• Bona Fide Masks are 25% off right now with the coupon BFM25
• Flomasks are 25% off in their back-to-school sale with coupon code BTS2026. The adult masks are already 25% off on the site, and the discounts stack!
• Flowflex COVID tests from Pharmalynk get cheaper if you buy in bulk, and they've been running flash sales with steeper discounts on tests whose expiration dates are nearing. You can also order the 3-in-1 COVID/Flu A/Flu B tests or the 4-in-1 COVID/Flu A/Flu B/RSV tests there
• You can also head to MaskBloc.org to find free masks available in your area!

As we continue to see our public health institutions get dismantled, it's up to all of us to keep each other safe. If you've stopped masking, now would be a great time to start again, at least in places like healthcare facilities and public transit! Remember "flatten the curve" from back in 2020? Let's update that to "stop the wave" for 2026!