Despite encouraging the downward trend, US deaths in Covid remain high

Coronavirus cases are trending downward across the United States as the country’s vaccination rate increases. But despite the sharp drop in new infections since the beginning of this year, the U.S. death toll remains at nearly 1,500 people daily. The number still exceeds the summer peak when patients filled Sun Belt hospitals and outbreaks in states that reopened early caused a record number of cases, although daily deaths nationwide remained lower than the first surge last spring. The number of newly reported cases per day remains almost as high as the summer record.

At the same time, officials in Texas and Mississippi lifted mask mandates while other states end capacity constraints on businesses.

Most experts believe that the worst days of the American coronavirus outbreak are behind us. About 66 million Americans were at least partially vaccinated, and the dose administered increased to about 2.3 million per day from about 1.2 million per day at the end of January and continues to grow.

The combination of the numbers of those vaccinated and estimates of those who already had the virus could mean that about 40 percent of U.S. residents now have some degree of protection against the virus, according to one analysis. And President Biden on Thursday called on states to make vaccinations available to all U.S. adults by May 1st.

But experts also warn that the country is not yet clear: varieties of the virus that are more contagious threaten to drive things up again, especially if there are fewer measures to control the transmission. And states where any new rises start from a higher point can run a particular risk.

The average number of new cases per day has dropped by more than 75 percent since its peak on January 8, but the drop in deaths began a few weeks later and was not yet so steep. The reported deaths from Covid often delay positive cases by up to a few weeks, which may help explain why the death rate nationwide still exceeds the summer peak, while new cases are not.

“Although these trends are starting to move in the right direction, the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths remains too high and it is a gloomy reminder that we need to remain vigilant while working to increase vaccination efforts,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday in an information session on the White House’s Covid response. ‘We must continue to use proven precautionary measures to slow the spread of Covid-19. They bring us closer to the end of this pandemic. ”

A CDC study last week provided new evidence that preventative measures work to stop the transmission: the obligation of masks is associated with a decrease in cases and deaths, while an increase in cases and deaths is associated with the opening of own dining room. Dr. Walensky calls the report a warning against the premature lifting of controls.