566,000 U.S. deaths predicted by May 1; Biden contains a vaccination plan

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In the headings:

► Global COVID-19 deaths have reached the horrific milestone of 2 million, which is roughly equal to the entire population of Nebraska. Of the deaths, more than 390,000 were in the United States.

► Institute for Health Metrics now predicts that by May the US will have more than 566,000 deaths due to COVID-19

► Elected President Joe Biden said on Friday that his government would add clinics, strengthen public health staff, and invoke a wartime production law to ensure adequate vaccine supplies, allowing Americans to stay within the first 100 days of his government. Can get 100 million COVID-19 shots. .

► From Monday, the UK will require all incoming travelers to present a negative COVID-19 test and quarantine. Children under the age of 11, essential workers and people traveling for urgent medical treatment were released.

► The coronavirus pandemic will lower the life expectancy of Americans at birth by more than a year, according to a study by the University of Southern California and Princeton University. The expectation is that the life expectancy for black and Latino population will decrease 30% to 40% more than the white population.

📈 Today’s numbers: According to Johns Hopkins University data, there are more than 23.5 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and more than 392,000 deaths. World totals exceed 94 million cases and a meager 2 million deaths have been recorded.

📘 What we read: Scientists are convinced that COVID-19 is derived from a bat with a thumb in a remote Chinese cave. But where does this virus really come from? Read more about its mysterious origin.

Model predicts 566,000 US. deaths by May 1, but could be more

The Institute of Health Calculations now predicts that by May, more than 566,000 people in the U.S. will die from COVID-19, and the peak is likely to be in early February. The organization says that the expectation is that daily deaths after the peak will gradually decrease and will be below 500 per day somewhere in April due to the seasonality and the increase in vaccination. “They predict that by May 1, some states may be close to herd immunity.

But if the more transmissible variant, which has already been detected in several states, takes hold, the peak could be ‘delayed by weeks and the death toll significantly increased’. Meanwhile, IHME has warned that hospitals will be under ‘severe stress’ in the next four weeks, as the coastal countries are experiencing a significant increase in cases. The Midwest, recently a hotspot, is declining.

Biden promises swift action against explosion of vaccine, see Defense Production Act

In his first detailed discussion of his vaccination plans a day after the unveiling of his $ 1.9 billion economic rescue plan, Pres. Joe Biden said swift action was needed to stem the “gloomy failure” of the vaccine’s deployment in the country, which has left millions of doses in storage. the deadliest piece of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Biden team has identified suppliers that can be tapped under the Federal Defense Production Act to prevent potential shortages of glass vials, stoppers, syringes and needles that could delay firing.

He reiterates an earlier promise to open vaccines outside of health care and nursing home residents for adults over 65 and frontline workers, such as teachers, first responders and groceries.

Biden will instruct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to set up mass vaccination sites in places such as school gyms, community centers and sports stadiums. He promised that these new clinics, as well as temporary mobile clinics, would be available in underserved communities severely affected by coronavirus.

– Ken Alltucker

Should you wear a mask after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine? Absolutely.

“Masks and social distance must continue in the foreseeable future – until we have some herd immunity,” said Dr. Preeti Malani, chief health officer at the University of Michigan, said. “Masks and distance are here to stay.”

Malani and other health experts have explained several reasons why Americans should hold on to their masks: No vaccine is 100% effective; it takes a while before protection is activated; and getting vaccinated will not prevent you from spreading the virus. Read more here.

– Liz Szabo, Kaiser Health News

CDC warns that the British variant could become the dominant tension in the US in March

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that the highly contagious variant of the coronavirus that is wreaking havoc in the UK could become predominant in March.

A model that appeared in the agency’s weekly report on morbidity and mortality on Friday showed that the variant, B.1.1.7, is spreading rapidly and threatens to strain resources in health care and increase the population immunity needed to to control the pandemic.

About 76 cases of the new variant were detected in ten states on Jan. 13, the CDC said, with Illinois announcing its first case in Chicago on Friday.

The CDC has said it is working with other federal agencies to coordinate and improve genomic surveillance to better understand local epidemiology in light of this new variant. The agency also stressed the importance of public health strategies to reduce transmission, which will ‘have critical time to increase vaccination’.

The world reaches 2 million deaths due to coronavirus

The global death toll from COVID-19 on Friday was 2 million more than vaccines being developed at an incredible rate, being rolled out worldwide in an overall campaign to overcome the threat.

The milestone was reached just over a year after the coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan. It took eight months to kill 1 million. It took less than four months thereafter to reach the next million.

Although the score is based on figures provided by government agencies around the world, the actual toll is likely to be significantly higher, in part due to inadequate testing and the numerous deaths inaccurately attributed to other causes, especially early in the outbreak.

“Behind this horrible number are names and faces – the smile that will now be just a memory, the seat empty at the dinner table forever, the room that resonates with the silence of a loved one,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Secretary-General, said. He said the toll was “exacerbated by the absence of a globally coordinated effort.”

“Science has succeeded, but solidarity has failed,” he said.

Contributors: Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY; Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID news, updates: Joe Biden’s coronavirus plan; new tension a concern

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