On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the coronavirus a global pandemic, causing a historic battle against the respiratory disease that has killed more than 2.6 million people worldwide in the past year. In the early months, there has never been an attempt to produce personal protective equipment amid a global shortage, as well as a slight attempt to develop and distribute test material for the virus while companies try to develop a vaccine. to use using new sequence technology.
People were locked inside, businesses were locked and classrooms were closed. Sanitation products flew off the shelves as federal officials struggled to contain the virus through a week-long lock-in, or attempted to set up fans for the expected influx of patients hospitalized in the coronavirus.
Former President Trump has formulated a task force COVID-19 of the White House and dr. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx became household names. Google searches for hydroxychloroquine and brake desivir skyrocketed as research into possible treatments began to unfold.
One year later, with three COVID-19 vaccines recently receiving FDA approval for emergency use in the US, several states are starting to return coronavirus-related restrictions such as mask mandates and social gathering restrictions, but several top health experts have warned against giving up the fight too soon.
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“After a year of this struggle, we are tired, we are lonely, we are impatient,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the newly appointed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said Thursday. “There have been many missed family gatherings, too many lost milestones and opportunities, too many sacrifices. And yet there is determination; there are stories of giving and hope, of endurance and perseverance. We are better together and together we will persevere.”
Walensky said the rise in vaccine distribution in the US gives her hope, but there is still more work to be done. On Wednesday, Moderna announced that it would test new booster shots to combat emerging variants, namely the B.1.351, which was first detected in South Africa, and which was found to be the neutralizing antibodies produced by the existing vaccines. produced, influenced.
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In the US, about 10% of the population is completely vaccinated against the virus, which has forced the CDC to recently release guidelines on activities that can be safely resumed among this population.
“These new recommendations are a first step in our process of returning to everyday activities – spending time with family and friends, embracing our grandparents and grandchildren, and celebrating birthdays and holidays,” Walensky said in part. . “While we gather more evidence to support the safe return to everyday activities, please continue to take precautions in public, and when you have people at high risk for severe COVID-19 disease. Or you now whether or not vaccinated, a pit wear an appropriate mask, exercise physical distance, wash your hands regularly, avoid medium and large gatherings and avoid travel.We know that these measures work to spread this virus to prevent and to help protect others. ‘
But while social media reflects gripping videos of family members reuniting for the first time in months, the one-year anniversary also serves as a grim reminder to those still waiting for the return of all lost things, including personal learning and the ability to socialize or participate in social activities without worry.
The vaccines have not been approved for use in children or young adolescents, and Alaska has only recently become the first state to offer those over 16 years of age. For many elderly adults, the process of finding an available appointment is a difficult task. while anxious parents await news of a trial of younger teens who warned Fauci, the country’s leading expert on infectious diseases, is unlikely to end until next autumn.
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“This pandemic will end,” Walensky continued in her statement. “And our public health work will continue. Through the almost blinding spotlight of this crisis, we now see clearly what we should have addressed before – the long-term inequalities that prevent us from achieving optimal health for all. We see the impact of years of neglect. of our public health infrastructure.We see the critical need for data moving faster than disease, to prevent than to respond.To move past this pandemic, we must persistently address these challenges and the innovations, new partnerships and the “The resilience of our communities that has arisen from this crisis is the only way we can turn tragedy and pity into lasting progress and improved health for all.”
President Biden is expected to address the country later on Thursday on the pandemic.