The U.S. has just reached a record high of approximately 4.6 million Covid-19 vaccines administered in one day, according to data published Saturday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention on Saturday, the U.S. reached a record high of approximately 4.6 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines administered in one day.
“Amazing Saturday! + 4.63 million doses administered yesterday is a new record, “Dr. Cyrus Shahpar, Covid-19’s data director at the White House, wrote about Twitter. ‘More than 500 000 higher than the previous record last Saturday. Incredible number of doses administered. ”
The new record is good news – but it comes at a complicated time in the US pandemic.
As the number of vaccinations of Covid-19 increases across the country, Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations are also increasing, fueled by variant B.1.1.7, which is now the dominant strain in the USA. Experts believe that the variant is more contagious, can cause more serious diseases and also more deadly.
In the past seven days, the U.S. has reported an average of more than 68,000 new Covid-19 cases daily, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. This is more than 20% higher than the average of seven days on 10 March.
“On the one hand, we have so much reason for optimism and hope, and more Americans are being vaccinated,” said CDC director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, said during a Covid-19 briefing in the White House on Friday. “On the other hand, cases and visits to emergencies are up. And … we are seeing this increase in younger adults, most of whom have not yet been vaccinated. ‘
Americans between the ages of 18 and 64 have seen an increasing number of visits to emergency departments, she said.
And the trends are “magnified” in one part of the country, she said: the Upper Midwest.
“CDC is working closely with public health officials in this region to understand what drives these issues and how we can intervene.”
A race for life and death ‘
Michigan is currently one of the hardest hit states in the country, and local officials say the state is in the midst of a new upswing, reporting thousands of new cases daily.
According to CDC, the state also has the second highest number of reported cases of the B.1.1.7 variant after Florida. And one expert says it’s a combination of two factors that caused the numbers to rise.
‘This B.1.1.7 variant … is more contagious and I think there is only fatigue from this pandemic out there, so many people do not wear masks, do not have social distance, so we basically took a step back in Michigan, ”said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told CNN on Saturday.
“It’s really frustrating because we’re almost there,” he said. “We have to stay there for the next two months and not do it.”
Amid rising numbers, some hospitals are delaying and rescheduling in non-emergency procedures “case-by-case,” a Michigan Health & Hospital Association spokesman said.
“Hospitals want everyone to get the care they need and only rearrange procedures as a last resort,” John Karasinski said Saturday. “We want to emphasize that hospitals are safe for anyone in need of care, and that any person with a medical emergency should seek immediate care.”
It’s not just Michigan that is reporting disturbing trends.
In both Michigan and Minnesota, there are concerns about the transfer of youth sports – both club sports and sports related to schools, Walensky said Friday.
Minnesota Health Officers warned Friday the state sees a “sharp increase” in Covid-19 cases, adding that it is “more important than ever before” to continue to maintain safety measures such as wearing a mask and social distance.
In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday that the number of Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and ICU admissions is increasing.
“We are moving wrong now,” he said. “More than half of our counties, 53, have seen increases.”
“We can still turn it around if more people are still vaccinated,” the governor added. “It’s a race. We’re in a race. And it’s a life and death race. ‘
Health Officer: Do these two things
To date, 35.3% of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, according to CDC data. And about 21.3% were completely vaccinated.
That means tens of millions of Americans are still not vaccinated and are still vulnerable to the virus.
So as the country works to increase vaccination numbers and reach the levels needed to control the spread, experts say Americans need to stay vigilant and continue to take precautions.
“To end this pandemic, this is what we need to do,” said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, said in the White House briefing on Friday. “We need to act and help protect each other. And that’s why I’re asking everyone today to do two things: One should be vaccinated as soon as possible. And two, also help the people you care about vaccinate. ‘
In an interview published last week, dr. Anthony Fauci told Business Insider that although he has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, he still will not go to a restaurant or a movie theater.
“I do not think I will – even if I am vaccinated – go to an indoor, busy place where people do not wear masks,” Fauci said.