Drayage Brokersin Washington, DC

Tyrone Turner / DCist/WAMU

The D.C. region is experiencing its first substantial uptick in coronavirus transmission in several months.

But this time, things look different – both in how the public responds to transmission, and how we can measure it. Unlike during previous surges, when we were sometimes able to chart spikes day-by-day, transmission is now largely measured by other metrics, namely hospitalizations over time. Regionally, a bump in hospitalizations due to COVID-19 started in July; by the end of the month, the number of COVID hospitalizations in D.C. had increased 30% from the month prior, according to CDC data. (Data for August is not yet available.)

In Maryland, the rate of new weekly COVID hospitalizations per 100,000 residents rose from 1.08 on July 1 to 2.10 on July 29. According to the state’s data, a total of 125 people were currently hospitalized with COVID as of Aug. 7, up from 57 on July 1. Meanwhile, in Virginia, 146 people were admitted to the hospital with COVID in the last week of July, a slight increase from 121 in the last week of June.

Although the current rates indicate an increase in viral transmission, hospitalizations still remain low relative to the most recent spike, which occurred in January this year, and significantly below what we saw during our most deadly surges, like the winter omicron peak in late 2021 and early 2022.

“We’re probably not in the same sort of surge as our winter omicron surges have been,” says Neil Sehgal, a public health professor at the University of Maryland and the University of Washington. “I think what it is, is, unfortunately, a sign that we have a lot of potential for more explosive growth as we move from summer into fall.”

As has been the case for the past three-plus years, it’s difficult to pin down precise causes of the current uptick. It’s likely the result of the usual summer-time factors: increased travel and socialization. Sehgal suggests waning immunity – both from previous infection and vaccines – could also be at play, as a new omicron subvariant, EG.5, takes hold. All of the variants circulating right now are of the omicron lineage (as one public health professor told the Washington Post, EG.5 is like one of “several Barbies in the same film.”) Like other omicron subvariants, EG.5 has shown to be better at evading immunity protection, but it isn’t making people sicker.

Further complicating the understanding of the current surge is the shift both in the public perception of COVID in the past year – and the way the virus is tracked.

Public health departments – including locally and at the federal level – have stopped tracking regular case data, as its significance fell with the ubiquity of at-home tests which often went unreported. In what Sehgal calls the “post-case data” era, we’re left to rely on hospitalization metrics, as well as emergency room visits and deaths to track the trajectory of spread.

“One of the challenges is, with the landscape of data that’s available to us today, we’re only really able to tell that we’re in a surge sort of in retrospect,” Sehgal says. “How nice was it back when we had smooth curves of case data, and we could make decisions in our lives based on that?”

Analysis of wastewater is a helpful tool for spotting increased transmission early, but our region has not yet built out a robust wastewater reporting system. Zero of D.C.’s nine sampling sites have current data to report, per the CDC. (The city’s wastewater surveillance program was originally beset by delays, and officials told DCist/WAMU last year that surveillance would phase out when case rates stabilized at a low level.)

Across Maryland, only seven wastewater sites are providing current data to the CDC, and four of them indicate an increase in the presence of COVID over the past 15 days. Neither Montgomery County nor Prince George’s County have reportable data. And in Virginia, five sites are reporting an increase in transmission, although none of them are located in the region. (Fairfax County, Arlington County, and Alexandria sites did not have current data as of Aug. 11)

In lieu of dashboards and rising and falling lines on a graph, Sehgal says that relying on anecdotal evidence is one of our best bets (though, of course, it doesn’t beat sound public health data).

When it becomes a situation where “everyone knows someone (who knows someone) who has COVID right now,” it’s safe to say it’s not a coincidence, but part of a trend – and a useful data point to use to gauge your risk.

“Certainly, I can count more recent infections since July 1 than in the previous three months, or maybe even the previous six months among my social circle,” Sehgal says.

We asked DCist/WAMU readers how they were managing the current uptick, and responses ranged – underscoring the varying degrees to which people do or do not think to protect against COVID anymore. One person said they “had no idea” transmission was up. Several people said they had COVID right now – and many for the first time. One mentioned a work conference that became a superspreader event, while another mentioned a close call at their child’s daycare.

With free tests no longer available at the library or COVID Centers in D.C., and no current plans from Joe Biden’s administration to ship tests directly again, testing is now less convenient and harder to come by. Rapid tests can be purchased at pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, but they tend to go for $10-$12 a pop, likely changing the calculus on how frequently you want to test — especially when it can take days for a positive result to show up. (When omicron first came on the scene in late 2021 and early 2022, researchers detected that rapid tests were less likely to detect infection early on, even while symptomatic.)

As for more-accurate PCRs, those can be obtained at a doctor’s office for a price, and at some CVS clinics, but will likely require a copay; since the federal government ended the public health emergency in May, insurance providers are no longer required to waive costs or provide free testing.

“If you’re not savvy about using your insurance, or if you’re not insured, then PCR testing has become prohibitively expensive,” Sehgal says. “Because it’s no longer viewed as a public good protective measure.”

People may be testing less, or mistaking a COVID infection for a “summer flu,” allowing transmission to continue undetected. And while vaccines still afford protection against serious illness, as the region heads into back-to-school season (and the weather turns cooler) Sehgal expects the bump in transmission to continue. He says this is a risk to both immunocompromised or elderly residents, who are most vulnerable to severe illness from COVID, as well as otherwise healthy people who may go on to develop long COVID.

“It’s been out of mind for people who aren’t experiencing [long COVID] and debilitation for people who do,” Sehgal says. “There’s still a risk with every infection, that the symptoms you experience will last. And certainly, it’s not cognitively comfortable to think about, but the risk of long-term COVID symptoms has not gone away.”

Another booster vaccine should be on the way by the end of September, this time specifically formulated to target the XBB.1.5 variant. But Sehgal says if the uptake of the last booster tells us anything, it’s not likely this will have much of an impact on community transmission. In D.C., less than a third of people who got at least one dose of a COVID vaccine received the bivalent booster. In Maryland, 26% of residents are up-to-date on their vaccines, and in Virginia, 23%.

“It’s challenging for me to believe that we’ll see a significant dent from the availability of that booster,” Sehgal says. “Of course, people who are medically vulnerable, elderly or immunocompromised are more likely to get vaccinated, and so there will certainly be a benefit in protecting people who are more medically vulnerable. But certainly, we’re not going to see the total potential benefit of that updated fall vaccine.”

DCist is supported by a community of members … readers just like you. So if you love the local news and stories you find here, don’t let it disappear!

Become a Member

Bob’s Shanghai 66

location_on

language

We’re going to go ahead and say it: These are the best xiao long bao (soup dumplings) in the area. The plump, juicy morsels come in several varieties, but the pork and crab-and-pork XLB are essentials (watch them being stuffed and folded through a window into the kitchen). The lengthy menu can be overwhelming, but dishes marked with yellow stars—including shrimp cruller wraps and garlicky Taiwanese cucumbers—are hits.

A&J

These northern Chinese dim sum spots are destinations for rustic handmade noodles and dumplings. Particularly worth a journey: pan-fried pork pot stickers and wide ribbons slicked with hot-and-sour sauce. The multi-page menu has no wrong choices, but garlicky cucumbers, thousand-layer pancake, and beef-tendon soup deserve extra credit.

Dama Restaurant and Cafe

This family-run Ethiopian enterprise dishes up soulful stews and sautés in the dining room, sells Ethiopian lentils and breads in the shop, and serves pastries and coffee in the cafe. Everything has a cooked-by-Grandma quality, whether turmeric-scented lamb alicha, chili-stoked doro wat, tenderloin tibs with jalapeños, or kifto, the raw ground-beef dish that’s ever so slightly warmed with spiced butter—Ethiopia’s answer to steak tartare.

Fish in the Neighborhood

location_on

language

This longstanding seafood carryout in Park View has been operating from a small sidewalk window since the pandemic. But newbies and regulars alike will still experience the neighborly hospitality of owner Bill White, who always seems ready with a joke or a fist bump. Come for the fried cornmeal-crusted fish and shrimp, and don’t skimp on soulful sides like hush puppies, collard greens, and seafood-mac salad. And always go for extra mango sauce.

Full Key

location_on

language

Roast duck with crackling mahogany skin is as succulent as ever. So are soy-sauce chicken and tender pork. And while roast meats are the draw at this 31-year-old mecca of Hong Kong cuisine, there are other pleasures, including flavorful shrimp-dumpling soup, deep-fried anything with spicy salt (shell-on shrimp and bean curd are our faves), eggplant in hot garlic sauce, and bright stir-fried Chinese cress or snow-pea leaves.

Elephant Jumps

location_on

language

Banana-blossom salad usually gets top billing on the chalkboard specials menu for good reason. One of chef Songtham Pinyolaksana’s signature Thai specialties combines shrimp, chicken, and fried shallots in a memorable spicy lime/coconut-milk sauce. The kitchen further excels at all things fried, whether crispy pork belly showered in frizzled basil, a tempura-style papaya salad, or whole rockfish topped with slivers of green mango and cashews.

Huong Viet

location_on

language

The crispy, oversize crepe at this cash-only Vietnamese dining room in the Eden Center is arguably the best in the area: gossamer-thin, studded with shrimp and pork, and meant to be wrapped in lettuce leaves with fresh mint and basil. Caramelized dishes are also rave-worthy, including pork, fish, or a chicken version amped up with crunchy bits of ginger. Shrimp with Chinese broccoli sounds same-old but surprises with a hit of chili, and the rice noodles with marinated pork, raw vegetables, and a spring roll could easily feed two.

Mandalay

location_on

language

One of the region’s only Burmese restaurants made a surprise return last summer, after declaring an end to its two-decade run months earlier. What it lacks in ambience—most of the tables and chairs are foldups—it makes up for with punchy flavors and heat. A good intro is the section of chef’s specialties, such as beef simmered in an onion-based curry or tofu with pickled-mango curry. Crunchy cabbage salads are another must-try, including a favorite with fresh shredded ginger and fried garlic.

Haute Dogs & Fries

location_on

language

Despite these fast-casual spots’ name, there’s nothing all that fancy about the hot dogs here. Yes, they’re well griddled and have a nice, toasty bun, but what makes them stand out is their spin-the-globe creativity. A bánh mì dog is brilliantly accessorized just like the Vietnamese sub, with jalapeño, cilantro, and pickled carrot and daikon. We’re equally enamored with the Peking-duck-inspired version, the classic Chicago dog, and the DC homage, which sports blue cheese, yellow mustard, barbecue sauce, onions, and pickles.

Los Hermanos

location_on

language

This Columbia Heights cafeteria is known for its groaning plates of rib-sticking Dominican food. Meat is the thing here, so go for the oxtail stew, fall-off-the-bone pork ribs, stewed goat, or Flintstone-size fried beef ribs. Black beans, red beans, and a variety of rices are the traditional sides, and they are good, but don’t overlook the mashed plantains. They won’t win any beauty contests but really are the bomb.

Mi Cuba Cafe

location_on

language

A fun vibe, top-notch Cuban fare, and tasty mojitos keep this Columbia Heights eatery humming. Happily, a newish second-floor space has eased waits for tables. The draws? Lechon asado, or roast pork, at once crispy and juicy; beef picadillo studded with olives; pressed pan con lechon and Cuban sandwiches; curvy plantain chips; and elegant empanadas.

Passage to India

location_on

language

Sudhir Seth, once one of the area’s top Indian chefs and the owner of this serene Bethesda dining room, died in 2021. It’s a testament to his skill that the place is still going very strong. Many Indian restaurants in the States specialize in the meaty, yogurt-rich Northern Indian strain of the country’s many-faceted cuisine. And while you can grab a bang-up chicken makhni to go (or at lunchtime, discounted), this is the place to sample Southern Indian specialties like eggplant in vegan sesame-peanut gravy, a Western lamb stew with apricots, or a mint-and-cilantro-scented chicken curry with Yemeni roots.

Ravi Kabob House

location_on

language

The enchanting smell of spiced grilled and stewed meats hits as soon as you enter this Pakistani carryout. Next, your eyes will home in on the display case packed with long metal spears of marinated meats. The Ravi Kabob special, with boneless chicken and ground-beef skewers, is truly a feast, complete with fresh tandoori-baked bread, rice, salad, and chutney. You can also order from adjoining Ravi Chatkhara, which specializes in lamb and chicken karahi, a spicy tomato-based curry.

Shamshiry

location_on

language

Families pack this Persian favorite all day for heaping plates of rice and kebabs. The kubideh, spiced ground beef, is a standout, and it’s worth a few bucks extra to swap plain basmati for rice studded with tart barberries or perfumed by candied orange peel, pistachios, and almonds. Fill whatever table space remains with yogurt dips, salads, pickles, and herbs—plus a pitcher of doogh, a cooling yogurt drink.

Vace

location_on

language

These Italian American (with a dash of Argentinean) carryouts have been churning out their unique take on pizza for more than four decades. The not-too-thin, not-too-thick pies are crisp on the bottom, layered with mozzarella that’s baked right into the crust, and finished with ladles of bright-red sauce. At a time when a whole pizza can run you nearly $30, the ones here are a delicious steal. (The focaccia sandwiches and Italian cold-cut subs are, too.) While you’re there, pick up Italian imports, frozen pasta, and an empanada or two.

Gom Ba Woo

location_on

language

Show up early and you might catch the staff at this homey Korean restaurant sitting in the corner folding up plump dumplings. You’re definitely going to want the bountiful plate of these pork-stuffed specialties, either steamed or pan-fried. Equally generous are jam-packed seafood-scallion pancakes, sizzling bibimbap, and hearty stews, such as a bubbling cauldron of kimchi, pork, and tofu.

Taco Bamba

location_on

language

What happens when a former fine-dining chef opens a chain of popular taco joints? Solid al pastor and barbacoa, sure, but also some creative, globally inspired creations. Think Thai-accented shrimp-and-chorizo larb with herbs and chilies or “Peruvian-ish” chicken with green-chili purée and aji amarillo aïoli. Cocktails, such as a wood-fired-pineapple-and-mezcal margarita, are a notch above your typical fast-casual options.

This article appears in the August 2023 issue of Washingtonian.

This story was excerpted from Jessica Camerato’s Nationals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Daylen Lile views zeroes on both sides of the box score -- those he wants to add to at the plate and others he wants to maintain in the outfield -- with the same importance. At 20 years old, the High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks outfielder knows who he wants to be as a baseball player.

“I look at myself as a scoreboard changer,” Lile said earlier this month from the dugout at Maimonides Park in Brooklyn. “Even if I don’t hit in a game, I can still do something on defense to help the team out. … I could walk, I could be the big run, I could steal a bag. … I would like to think that any aspect of the game -- whether it’s on defense, on the basepaths or hitting -- is a scoreboard changer.”

Last week, Lile made the biggest jump among the Nationals’ Top 30 prospects in MLB Pipeline’s midseason re-rankings, rising from No. 15 to No. 6. He began the season in Single-A and, after garnering Carolina League Player of the Week recognition, he was promoted to High-A on July 18.

Lile is in his first season back after missing all of 2022 because of Tommy John surgery. The injury occurred just one year after Lile was selected by the Nats in the second round of the ‘21 Draft out of Trinity High School in Louisville, Ky., where he earned back-to-back Gatorade Kentucky High School Player of the Year honors.

“It’s definitely a blessing coming out here playing the game I love and doing it every day,” Lile said.

The year away from the game led to moments of insight early on in Lile’s pro career. In addition to learning about taking care of his body and the necessary recovery time, he also honed in on specific areas of his game.

Lile studied film to assess his movement on the offensive side. The left-handed batter has incorporated a daily routine that helps him stay in his legs and improve the rotational aspect of his hitting. Another focus is balancing his strikeout and walk rates.

“My power,” he said when asked which part of his game he is most proud of. “I would say that’s the biggest thing because people look at me as a contact hitter, but now that I’m able to show that I do have power, it’s pretty cool.”

In the field, Lile adjusted his throwing motion to take stress off his elbow. As a result, he is able to get the ball in faster. Lile has played all three outfield positions in Double-A, and with that position stacked in the Nats’ Minor League system -- their top two prospects, Dylan Crews and James Wood, both play center -- being versatile enough to play a corner position could be a benefit.

“I would say that’s the biggest thing that people look past, saying I don’t have a strong arm,” Lile said. “But now, having Tommy John, I can actually show it off now.”

Lile describes himself as a “perfectionist.” With that mindset, he has already learned the ups and downs of baseball. He recalled August 2021, when -- just six games into his pro ball experience -- he had three strikeouts in consecutive games.

“Whenever I was going through travel ball in high school, I was getting, probably, three hits a game,” he said. “Then, going to [the Florida Complex League], when I struck out three times, I didn’t know how to handle it. But I had guys that were alongside of me that helped me through that. … That’s the biggest thing I had to learn was the mental side of it, that it’s not always going to go my way every day. But if I can still help out the team in any possible way, that means a lot.”

Vocal among his teammates, Lile prefers to let his game do the talking on the field.

“I really don’t say much; I just do what I need to do,” he said. “Talking is one thing, but if you can go out there and show everybody what you’re about, it goes a long way.”

In his first full season on the professional level, Lile has a clear sense of how he wants to continue to develop and grow. He looks forward to putting it all together on the big league stage.

“I feel like I’ve been slept on a lot by people,” he said. “So I want to show them who Daylen Lile is and that I can compete at any level.”

Opal

location_on

language

This airy Chevy Chase DC dining room from the team behind Shaw’s Nina May turns out modern-American plates that nod to the season. A good starting point is the $29 two-course lunch menu, which comes with a zero-proof drink or iced oat-milk latte (upgrade to wine or a cocktail for an extra $6). Portions are substantial: Our generous serving of chicken paillard, loaded with olives, mint, and sun-chokes, yielded plenty of leftovers, and starters include gazpacho with jumbo lump local crab and a light take on a Caesar.

Ambar

location_on

These trendy Balkan restaurants are known for some of the area’s most generous all-you-can-eat menus. The deal is best at lunch, when $27.99 buys you an unlimited choice of nearly 50 dishes—from beef-short-rib goulash to gnocchi with truffled-mushroom sauce. Even the hearty plates are petite enough to sample widely, and Balkan signatures such as cevapi (beef kebabs atop a roasted-pepper/feta spread) tend to be solid choices.

Caruso’s Grocery

location_on

language

Friday and Saturday lunch is prime time to visit the Pike & Rose branch of this red-saucy Italian joint. (The Capitol Hill original doesn’t serve lunch.) The $25 three-course menu starts with a salad (we recommend the standard-setting Caesar), lets you choose any pasta, including the fabulous scampi, then wraps up with a Nutella cannoli.

Del Mar

location_on

language

Yes, this is the home of the $100 paella. But Fabio Trabocchi’s soaring waterfront dining room also sneaks in a daytime deal: a $28 three-course lunch. The Spanish offerings are more rustic than luxe—say, country bread with roasted vegetables and romesco, or grilled branzino in a Basque-style pepper sauce—but the quality of the ingredients and the care in the kitchen make them stand out. Our sendoff of choice is the horchata gelato.

Jaleo

location_on

language

José Andrés’s peppy tapas restaurant in Penn Quarter just celebrated its 30th anniversary. Happily, some of its longest-running hits are on the $26 express-lunch menu, which gets you three small plates plus dessert. If you haven’t yet tried bacon-wrapped dates with apple-mustard sauce, goat-cheese-stuffed piquillo peppers, or the ever-popular gambas al ajillo (shrimp in garlicky, lemony oil), now is the time.

This article appears in the August 2023 issue of Washingtonian.

WASHINGTON -- Somewhat fittingly, the Red Sox scored the go-ahead run in their 5-4 victory over the Nationals on Tuesday night when Pablo Reyes had a great read on a wild pitch and dove in safely even though the ball took a generous carom back to catcher Keibert Ruiz.

This wasn’t a game filled with artistry. Instead, it was a game that Boston scratched and clawed to win.

Though it was only the fourth inning, Reyes was prepared for what turned out to be one of the biggest moments of the contest.

“I was focused and ready for that play before it happened,” he said. “I just got a good jump, but it surprised me when it hit that back net, so it went back to the catcher very close [to home plate]. On the way to home plate, I was thinking, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got to go, I’ve got to go.’ It was too close. And I had no chance to go back to third base, so I just kept going and made it to home plate.”

It was a winning play, and it offset a baserunning blunder just moments earlier, when Alex Verdugo tied the game with a sacrifice fly but Reese McGuire got thrown out trying to tag up and advance from first base.

“We made a bad baserunning mistake, and then we got lucky with the wild pitch,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “We cannot do that. You know, we went from bases loaded, no outs to man at third and two outs. So we cannot do that. There's no more excuses about that.”

Thanks to the heads-up play from Reyes, who helped spark the two-run rally with a double, McGuire’s mistake didn’t haunt the Red Sox.

“That’s something we talked about. And you’ve just got to be alert,” said Cora. “[Reyes] did an outstanding job going from second to third [on Verdugo’s sac fly]. And then, you know, he saw the ball in the dirt, took off and scored the run.”

The run by Reyes was the last time either team scored.

At this point of the season, with 43 games left and the 63-56 Sox trailing the 67-54 Blue Jays by three games for the final American League Wild Card spot, style points mean little, but heady plays mean a lot.

Playing their first game at Nationals Park since the thrilling Game No. 162 in 2021 that clinched a postseason spot, Boston had an auspicious start to this one when Verdugo belted the fourth pitch of the game over the wall in right-center for a home run.

But don’t let the leadoff homer fool you. The Red Sox had to work for everything they got from that point on.

On a night Nick Pivetta didn’t have his best stuff -- allowing four runs on five hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings, while striking out seven -- his teammates picked him up.

“I didn’t compete with the strike zone very well tonight,” said Pivetta. “I think we take the positives from this. The offense did a tremendous job picking me up when [it] needed to.”

Again, it was about the little things. With two outs in the third, Rafael Devers and Trevor Story stayed patient and worked walks. That brought Triston Casas to the plate, and he hammered a two-run single to right on a 3-2 count to give the Red Sox a 3-0 lead.

“They had a good approach,” said Nats starter Josiah Gray. “They were not swinging and missing much. They were laying off some good pitches and spoiling some good pitches. So, hats off to them for their approach.”

That lead slipped away in the bottom of the third, when Pivetta gave up a four-spot.

After the Red Sox took the lead right back, the bullpen was nearly flawless the rest of the way, giving up one hit and no walks over the final 4 2/3 scoreless innings.

At this time of the season, nothing steadies a team more than a shutdown bullpen. Brennan Bernardino, John Schreiber, Chris Martin, Josh Winckowski and Kenley Jansen (who earned career save No. 419) took this one home.

“I think there's a lot of us down there right now that are in pretty good form and throwing the ball really well, throwing a lot of strikes,” said Winckowski. “I think we're definitely pushing each other. I think Kenley is pushing all of us with the stability and consistency that he's had, as well as Martin. Getting Schreiber and [Garrett] Whitlock back is a huge boost.”

Get the Latest From MLB

Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball.