American Coronavirus: US on the verge of an increase in Covid-19 infections, but vaccinations will limit the damage

American Coronavirus: US on the verge of an increase in Covid-19 infections, but vaccinations will limit the damage

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“I think we are going to see an increase in the number of infections,” said Dr. Emergency physician Leana Wen told CNN on Wednesday night. “I do think what helps this time is that the most vulnerable – especially nursing home residents, older people – are being vaccinated now. And so we can prevent an increase in hospitalizations and deaths.”

Meanwhile, governors and local leaders have eased restrictions on indoor rallies, citing fewer Covid-19 cases and more vaccinations. And crowds during the spring break gather in Florida and nationwide numbers for air travel hit records of the pandemic era.

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As the country draws closer to 30 million reported infections, cases in 14 states are up more than 10% this week compared to last week, according to Johns Hopkins University data – with half of the states showing an increase of more than 20%.
If Covid-19 cases continue to increase, the mass vaccination of our most vulnerable is likely to limit the increase in hospitalizations and deaths. People 65 and older make up more than 80% of all Covid-19 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Yet 66% of people aged 65 and older had at least one vaccine dose, and about 39% were fully vaccinated, sharply reducing the risk of hospitalization and death.

Dr. However, winning is still a concern.

“I think we’re going to see an increase in the number of infections, but not necessarily an increase in hospitalizations and deaths, which is a good thing again,” she told CNN on Thursday. “But we also note that many governors are not going to impose restrictions unless we see our hospitals being overwhelmed.

‘We could therefore see a situation of many more infections that violate the ability of our vaccines to work, and people who let their hats down but do not have the limitations to limit it. And I fear that as a result we have this breed of variants versus vaccines. ‘

A lead guard holds up a mask-required sign during the March 10 Big Ten College Men's Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis.

In schools, three feet is the new six feet

The CDC is expected to update its physical distance guidelines for schools from six feet to three feet on Friday, an administration official confirmed to CNN.

U.S. health officials pointed to a study published last week that showed that Massachusetts schools that require three feet of distance between people have no difference in Covid-19 rates compared to those that keep students six feet apart. All staff and students above the second grade still had to wear masks.
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The change to three feet is the key to reopening schools, as most do not have room for six feet distance with all students. An analysis of reopening studies published last week found that school districts in Indiana, Virginia and Massachusetts all accepted a standard of three feet instead of six feet.

The states ‘have not yet seen an increase in cases that you would expect if the protection were somehow less adequate’, wrote education expert John Bailey.

In a Senate hearing Thursday, CDC director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, said that science on this issue has evolved over time.

“Indeed, because six feet there was such a challenge, science has leaned in and there are now emerging studies on the question between three feet and six feet,” she told sen. Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, said. “This is an urgent matter.”

The World Health Organization has recommended physical distance in schools of at least one meter or about 3 feet.
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Nearly 1 in 8 Americans are fully vaccinated

Meanwhile, vaccinations have accelerated as officials get as many shots in the arms as quickly as possible.

About 75 million Americans, according to CDC data, received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine. And about 41 million people are fully vaccinated, or about 12% of the U.S. population.
But challenges – including vaccination hesitation, disinformation and inequality – remain, and it is not entirely clear when the US will hit the herd immunity – the point at which enough people are protected from the virus to suppress spread.
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On Wednesday, both Fauci and Walensky pushed back against questions about herd immunity, saying that much depends on how quickly Americans take vaccines.

“Let’s just continue to get as many people vaccinated as possible,” Fauci said. “And as we do so, you will see the type of infection, the dynamics of the outbreak, diminish, even if the time is – the middle of summer, the end of summer, early autumn, we ‘It will be a lot, be much better off than we are now. ‘

The U.S. will soon have enough vaccines on hand and will have to start convincing unwilling people to be vaccinated, a top official from the Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday.

“We will have essentially doubled our vaccine supply within 90 days,” Dr. David Kessler, chief scientific officer for COVID response at HHS, said during a Senate hearing. “I believe we will soon switch from question to question.”

In addition, the CDC will soon provide more guidance on what people can do safely if they are fully vaccinated, Walensky said Thursday.

“We are once again looking at what we need to do in terms of travel for those who are vaccinated and who need to come forward soon. This will probably be the next step in this regard,” Walensky said during a Senate Health, Education hearing. , Labor and Pensions Committee.

The issue is not what is safe for those who are vaccinated, but what is safe for their contacts, she said.

“We are still looking at data on whether vaccinated people can be asymptomatically infected and possibly transmit to other people,” Walensky said. Doctors note that people who are vaccinated may still be able to inhale the virus and live in the nose and throat – and that they may exhale, cough or sneeze contagious virus.

CNN’s Melissa Alonso, Adrienne Broaddus, Elizabeth Cohen, Maggie Fox, Deidre McPhillips, Brandon Miller, Nick Neville, Rebekah Riess and Naomi Thomas contributed to this report.

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