Credit: Office of the Governor, YouTube
After weeks of infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm warning Americans about the “darkest days” of the pandemic yet to come, Governor Tim Walz and the Minnesota Department of Education on Wednesday announced new leadership encouraging schools to attract as many students as possible to get in again. the classroom for personal instruction.
Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Diseases and Research Policy at the University of Minnesota, who before his inauguration was a member of the advisory panel of President Joe Biden’s coronavirus, sounded the alarm about what he believes will be a major increase in disease. in the next 14 weeks.
Osterholm’s Monday appearance on CBS this morning almost entirely focused on the threat of the B.1.1.7. variant that led to strict closures in the UK.
“The next 14 weeks I think will be the worst of the pandemic. People do not want to hear it,” Osterholm said. “But if we look at what these variants do, especially those from the United Kingdom, and look at what they did in Europe, look at what they did in the Middle East, it’s starting here in the United States. unfold. ‘
Osterholm expects ‘very dark days’ by the end of March, and even predicts that schools that are currently bringing children back for personal tuition will find it difficult to stay personal when the boom arrives.
‘I respect dr. Osterholm and he were a big component that helped us understand, ‘Walz began when asked about Osterholm’s prediction. “That’s not CDC’s position. It’s not the models we use, IMHE, Mayo … we do not necessarily see it. He is not wrong that the variant could pose a potential threat.”
Walz said the numbers in Minnesota currently do not justify schools remaining in the distance education mode only, and although he acknowledges that “we are not out of the woods yet,” the situation in the state at present is such that “we” is in a position to take this step that reduces the risk to as close to zero as we can get it. ‘
On Monday, there were fewer than 54,000 cases and 989 deaths nationwide, the lowest total since October and November, respectively. In Minnesota, the numbers remained at much lower levels than during the October-November rise that saw the number of people with COVID-19 admitted to the hospital exceed 1,800.
The peak in Minnesota during the fall caused a major strain on the state’s hospital capacity, forcing some patients to move to hospitals across the state due to the limited supply of open beds and available staff to treat patients.
The Minnesota Department of Health was also concerned about variants
“We are concerned that we may see that variant B117 (the British variant) becomes more or less predominant in Minnesota and that this may lead to an increase in cases. Therefore, we are closely monitoring the situation through our laboratory and epidemiological work. , ”An MDH spokesman told BMTN on Tuesday.
“However, we have two weapons against this threat: our continued use of preventative measures such as wearing masks and physical distance and the continuous deployment of vaccines. It is so important for each of us to use these tools to share our share. do what the virus, no matter what strain, is in check. ‘
Osterholm does not think that the virus will increase in the coming weeks.
“We are now in silence as the cases decrease. These new variants are more contagious,” said Dr. David Agus, professor of medicine and engineering at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. CBS this morning on Tuesday. “We will increase the number of cases with these variants over the next few weeks, and it is certainly frightening for the suffering they can cause.”
Dr Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading expert in infectious diseases, also said that the B.1.1.7. by March March could become the dominant tribe in America.