NEW YORK (CNN) – Experts believe COVID-19 vaccinations in the US are going very well, but not enough people are protected yet and the country could be at the beginning of a new boom.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States administered a record 4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine this past weekend.
According to CDC data, the country now averages more than 3 million doses daily.
But only about 18.5% of Americans have been fully vaccinated, according to CDC data, and COVID-19 cases in the country have recently been seen to increase.
“I think we still have some rough weeks ahead,” said Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist, told CNN on Sunday. “What we know from the past year of the pandemic is that we tend to lag behind about three to four weeks behind Europe in terms of our pandemic patterns.”
The highly contagious B.1.1.7 variant has sparked a disturbing increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in parts of Europe. And experts are concerned that the US could be next if Americans do not double their security measures before more people are vaccinated.
What is worse, experts say, is that the variant changes the playbook of the pandemic and that it can cause problems for younger groups who have not yet been vaccinated.
“We need to think of the B.1.1.7 variant as a brand new virus,” said dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, said. “It behaves differently from what we have seen before, in terms of transferability, in terms of the impact on young people, so we have to take it very seriously.”
More young people are infected, hospitalized
The difference between previous trainings and another possible boom is that ‘the youngest individuals are hit the hardest’, said dr. Leana Wen, told CNN on Sunday.
Older populations nationwide are being prioritized for COVID-19 vaccinations. According to the CDC, more than 54% of Americans 65 and older are fully vaccinated, while more than 75% of the same age group received at least one dose of COVID-19.
But although the age group is now relatively well protected, Wen said, younger groups are still vulnerable as the B.1.1.7 variant spreads. Experts said the variant is more contagious and could cause a worse iteration of the disease. Research suggests that it can also be more deadly.
“We see in places like Michigan that the people who are now hospitalized by a large number are people in their thirties and forties,” Wen said. “And now we’re even seeing children become infected in greater numbers.”
It’s not just Michigan.
“What we are seeing are bags of infection across the country, especially in younger people who have not yet been vaccinated, and also in children of school-going age.” “on Sunday.
“If you look at what’s happening in Michigan, in Minnesota, in Massachusetts, for example, you see outbreaks in schools and infections in social groups that have not been exposed to the virus before.”
“The infection is changing its contours in terms of who is currently affected by it,” he added.
In Florida, Orange County, officials reported an increase in COVID-19 cases in the 18 to 25 age group late last month.
And a third of all COVID-19 hospitalizations in the country were people younger than 45, according to Dr. Raul Pino, director of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County.
New Jersey officials said last week that variants, including the B.1.1.7 strain, are contributing to an increase in cases and hospitalizations – including in younger age groups.
Between the first and last week of March, there was an increase of 31% and 48% respectively in the number of hospitalizations among the age groups 20-29 and 40-49, State Commissioner for Health Judy Persichilli said on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, older residents only increased percentages by one figure, she added.
How we can combat another increase in infections
Despite worrying warning signs, the US is not powerless, experts stressed.
Doubling safety measures – attenuation, social distance, avoiding crowds – coupled with rapid and effective vaccinations, could help curb another COVID-19 surge, Drs. Anthony Fauci said Saturday.
“We say it over and over again and we need the locals, we need the governors and the mayors and others to be able to say, ‘We are not out there yet,'” Fauci said.
“People say, ‘Well, you just want to limit us forever.’ No, it’s not going to last forever, because every day you get vaccinated four million, three million people, you get closer and closer to control. ‘
Hotez estimated on Sunday that Americans should hold another four to six weeks, and then we will be on the other side of it. ‘
“It seems like all the vaccines work just as well against this UK-B.1.1.7 variant … that’s really good news,” he said. “I have a lot of confidence that we will be in a good place by summer.”
“But if you are not vaccinated, you should act as if you are very vulnerable to this virus. This is not a time to get sick,” Hotez added.
Spring holiday travel rises
The Transport Security Administration said on Sunday it had selected 1.54 million people at airports across the country, only shy away from a pandemic record set on Friday when 1.58 million people flew. More than 6 million people have flown since Thursday.
Sunday’s screening figure is more than ten times higher than the bottom figures of a year ago, but still well below the 2019 level. The TSA figures were higher than 1.5 million three of the past seven days and higher than one million for 25 consecutive days.
The CDC said Friday that those who have been fully vaccinated can now travel at low risk for themselves, but the essential journey must still be avoided.
Delta Air Lines said it had to fill some middle seats on the weekend flights to keep up with demand, although the cap on seat capacity only ends on May 1st.
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