Lansing, Michigan Michigan has become the newest coronavirus epicenter in the United States, but it’s a mystery why.
“I do not know what is going on here. Michigan is just one of the hardest hits,” said Scott Niswonger.
Dr Meredith Hill, director of the emergency at Sparrow Hospital, said the increase was more drastic than the previous two weeks. “I think there is obviously more community spread now,” she said.
Niswonger, a COVID-19 patient, said his son may have become infected in his day care. He has been in Lansing’s Sparrow Hospital since Friday.
“We all tested and all came back positive and it has been a downward spiral ever since,” Niswonger said. “It just feels like someone, a 500-pound man just sitting on my chest and I just can’t push him off.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the latest increase in COVID-19 cases is nationwide driven by younger Americans. One theory: a possible link to the reopening of the school and sports after school.
“We learn that many outbreaks in young people are related to youth sports and extracurricular activities. According to CDC guidance, these activities should be limited,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the CDC, said.
There was also an increase in the B.1.1.7 variant that originated in the UK and is now believed to be responsible for a third of all cases in the US.
“We know that B.1.1.7 is more transferable, somewhere between 50-100% more transferable. Whether it is more transferable, specifically in different age demographics,” Walensky said.
But there is also good news nationwide. Four million vaccinations were reported on Saturday. At least 23% of American adults have been fully vaccinated and according to the CDC, 40% have received at least one dose.
As of Monday in Michigan, anyone 16 years or older can be vaccinated and join 27 other states to increase admission.
“You get so excited because a vaccine is no more and it’s a little discouraging to see the spread of the vaccine,” Hill said. “We just try to keep each other and stay as positive as possible.”
Correction: This story has been updated to correct the attribution of a quote about the increase in COVID cases in Michigan to Scott Niswonger, a COVID-19 patient.