American Coronavirus: Despite the drop in Covid-19 cases, an expert says the US is in the ‘eye of the hurricane’ as variants spread

American Coronavirus: Despite the drop in Covid-19 cases, an expert says the US is in the ‘eye of the hurricane’ as variants spread

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“I’ve been making Zoom calls for the past two weeks about how we’re going to get it right,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN on Sunday. “The big wall is going to hit us again and that’s the new variant.”

Nearly 700 cases of Covid-19 variants first observed in the UK, South Africa and Brazil have so far been reported in the US, according to data updated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“It can be really very difficult for our country if we enter spring,” Hotez said of the variants. “Now, we’re in a race. We’re in a race to see how fast we can vaccinate the American people.”

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According to Johns Hopkins University data, the U.S. surpassed 27 million reported infections on Sunday. More than 31 million Americans, according to CDC data, have so far received at least their first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, as officials are rushing vaccinations across the country. According to the data, more than 9 million people have so far received both doses of a vaccine.
And a third vaccine may be on its way to the U.S. market soon: Johnson & Johnson asked the Food and Drug Administration last week to give an emergency permit for the vaccine.

What we know about variants and vaccines

But Covid-19 variants also have complicated stuff for some vaccines. This is what we do know.

Health experts continue to encourage Americans to be vaccinated as soon as possible. Research published last month provides reassuring evidence that people vaccinated against the virus are also likely to be protected against new variants.
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Moderna said earlier that two doses of the vaccine were expected to be protected against variants first detected in the UK and South Africa, but added that they intended to test booster shots from an abundance of caution. . Pfizer also said last month that it was “laying the groundwork” to create vaccine boosters as a variant “providing evidence of the release of immunity by our vaccine”.
Meanwhile, health officials in South Africa said on Sunday that they were interrupting the rollout of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine after a study showed that it offers reduced protection against the variant that was first identified there.

Early data released on Sunday suggested that two doses of the vaccine offer only ‘minimal protection’ against mild and moderate Covid-19 against the variant. The efficacy of the vaccine against severe Covid-19, hospitalization and death has not been evaluated.

South Africa suspends rollout of AstraZeneca vaccine after study shows less protection against variants

A spokesman for AstraZeneca said in a statement: “We believe our vaccine will continue to protect against serious diseases” of the variant, adding that “neutralizing antibody activity is equivalent to other COVID-19 vaccines that have activity against serious diseases especially when the dosing interval is optimized for up to 8-12 weeks. “

Concerns over Super Bowl parties

Officials have continued to remind Americans that it is not just vaccines that will help slow the pandemic in the coming months. It is also the public health measures that have been shown to be effective in limiting the spread of the virus: avoiding masks, social distances, gatherings and regular hand washing.

It's still the safest way to avoid indoor dining, even if more states allow it.
But some chose to leave these proposals at home the weekend before the Super Bowl. Images came from Tampa, Florida, from crowded streets and venues, as well as events with maskless attendees and parties hosted by celebrities.
“I am very worried,” said Dr. Melissa Clarke, a member of Columbia District’s advisory committee on vaccine distribution, told CNN Sunday. “We are not only facing the Super Bowl parties, but the fact that it will soon be spring and spring fever will set in and people who have been locked in their homes all winter will want to get out.”

“I would warn everyone: remember to continue to practice this behavior and not get tired of Covid,” Clarke added. “Continue with mask, keep keeping distance, stay to avoid crowds.”

What it will take to reopen schools

Mitigation measures will play a particularly important role in helping schools reopen safely, two officials said Sunday, as the CDC is expected to soon release guidelines on how schools can reopen during the pandemic.

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“Safe reopening of schools is’ a simple question, but with a complicated answer, because it really depends on the level of infection in the community, ” said Dr. Anthony Fauci told NBC on Sunday.

First, communities need to work to get teachers vaccinated quickly, Fauci said. There should also be a focus on finding schools they need to reopen, including masks and proper ventilation.

Former FDA commissioner Dr Scott Gottlieb told CBS that when it comes to reopening schools, “the prerequisite is to introduce mitigation measures in schools.”

San Francisco School District and unions reach preliminary agreement on reopening for personal learning

He noted that when people wore masks and stayed socially distant, there was ‘very little transmission in the classroom’.

And while it would be good to prioritize teachers for vaccinations, he said, “I do not think this is necessarily a prerequisite. I think schools have shown that they can open safely if they have taken precautions in the classroom.”

Their recommendation comes amid an ongoing battle in many parts of the country over how to resume classes safely.

Announcements of tentative agreements paving the way for personal instructions came Sunday from San Francisco and Chicago, where officials clashed with school staff over what is the best approach for return.

CNN’s Jamie Gumbrecht, Amanda Sealy, Sharif Paget and Naomi Thomas contributed to this report.

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