Reports sent to states by the task force on January 3 warned of the possibility of a “US variant” of Covid-19.
“This autumn / winter boom has almost twice the increase in cases such as spring and summer. This acceleration suggests that there may be an American variant that has developed here, in addition to the British variant that is already in our communities and can 50% more transmissible, “said CNN’s reports, calling for” aggressive mitigation … to suit a much more aggressive virus. “
The task force should include the use of face masks, and the vaccination of as many people as possible immediately.
“Without the uniform implementation of effective face masking (two or three layers and well-fitting) and strict social distance, epidemics can quickly worsen as these variants become widespread and predominant,” the report reads.
This development comes after the US tracked down cases of a variant first identified in the UK that appear to be more easily transmitted.
“The United States remains at a high plateau of 140-150,000 confirmed and suspected COVID surveys per week and 120-125,000 total inpatients. Significant continuous decline, from California across the Sunbelt and into the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast , despite low test figures during the holidays, indicates an aggressive distribution of the community, ”read the task force reports.
The task force’s reports also called for outpatient monoclonal antibody treatment works available immediately to save lives.
And while the country is struggling to quickly immunize Americans, reports say vaccines must now be ‘in the arms’.
“Do not delay the rapid vaccination of persons over 65 and vulnerable to serious diseases; recommend the establishment of high-throughput vaccination sites with the help of EMT staff to monitor for possible anaphylaxis and full utilization of nursing students. No vaccines may be placed in freezers. “but should now take up arms; active and aggressive vaccination in the light of this boom would save lives,” the reports read.
This week, California is the state with the most new cases per 100,000 population, followed by Arizona, Kansas, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Utah, Arkansas, West Virginia, Georgia and Massachusetts in the top 10.
Test positivity, an indication of increasing cases, is highest in Oklahoma, followed by Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama.
Arkansas has the most hospital admissions per 100 beds, followed by Arizona, Maryland, Oklahoma, Georgia, Kentucky, California, District of Columbia, South Carolina and New Mexico.
And Kansas has the most new deaths per 100,000 population, followed by Wyoming, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Arkansas, Indiana, Mississippi, Arizona, Tennessee and Rhode Island.