Epidemiologist Michael Osterholm has issued strong warnings about the potential spread of the new, more contagious Covid-19 variant, saying it could cause an increase in cases in the United States to the level ‘we do not yet have in this country have not seen. ‘
Dr. Osterholm, who is director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota and a member of President Biden’s transition team that advises on coronavirus, said Meet the press host Chuck Todd that he expects the cases of the new Covid-19 variants to increase in the next six to 14 weeks. As a result, he said the U.S. may need to make a major shift in its vaccine strategy, focusing on administering the first dose of the vaccine to as many people as possible instead of trying to get people their second doses. .
‘We still want to get two doses in everyone, but I think, before this boom, we should get as many single doses in as many people over the age of 65, to reduce serious illness and death. will occur in the coming weeks, ”Osterholm said.
Osterholm predicted that B117, the more contagious strain of the virus that washes over England and was found in the pocket of the United States, would become the dominant strain of the virus in the country. “If we see this happen, which my 45 years in the trenches will tell us, we will see something like we have not seen before in this country,” he said. “That hurricane is coming. We must understand that, because of this boom, we must call an audible. ‘
The epidemiologist said if we see a surge in the new variant this spring, it will be worse than previous trainings. “We have literally seen our healthcare system on the verge of not being able to provide care,” Osterholm said. ‘Imagine if we had what happened in England twice as many of the cases. This is what we need to prepare for now. ”
However, there is some good news with the tension from England. So far, the vaccines appear to be relatively effective in combating B117. ‘Fortunately, this [B117 strain] did not show the ability to evade the protection against the vaccine, ”he said. “But the ability to cause many more infections and much more serious diseases is there.”
Other variants, such as those seen in South Africa and Brazil, Osterholm said, pose other possible concerns, as they could “lead to the evasion of immune protection against natural diseases or against [the] vaccine. “But, Osterholm pointed out in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine trial in South Africa: ‘No one who has had the various infections that have been vaccinated has died. It can therefore aggravate the serious illness and not just fully prevent it. ”
Osterholm stressed that he knows that many experience pandemic fatigue as well as economic stress, which has led some states to relax restrictions on activities such as indoor dining. But with the new virus strains, Osterholm believes the openings will be reversed soon. “As soon as we open our restaurants, we’ll probably close soon,” he said.
How can you protect yourself? Osterholm recommended focusing on simple things you can do, such as wearing a mask and wearing it well. ‘One thing that’s really important to me is that we see up to 25% of people wearing [their mask] under their noses, ”he said. “You know, it’s like fixing three of the five doors in your submarine … We need to get people to use it properly. This will help tremendously. ”