U.S. Coronavirus: Despite drop in Covid-19 cases, expert says the U.S. is in the ‘eye of the storm’ as variants spread

U.S. Coronavirus: Despite drop in Covid-19 cases, expert says the U.S. is in the ‘eye of the storm’ as variants spread

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“I have been on calls from Zoom for the past two weeks about how we are going to handle this,” Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN on Sunday. “The big wall is about to hit us again and these are the new variants.”

Nearly 700 cases of Covid-19 variants first detected in the UK, South Africa and Brazil have been reported in the United States so far, according to data updated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“This can be very, very terrible for our country as we move forward in the spring,” said Hotez of the variants. “Now, we are in a race. We are in a race to see how fast we can vaccinate the American people.”

Covid-19 numbers are improving, but infections can grow exponentially with Super Bowl meetings
On Sunday, the U.S. surpassed 27 million reported infections, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. More than 31 million Americans have so far received at least their first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, according to CDC data, while officials are working to increase vaccinations across the country. More than 9 million people have already received both doses of the vaccine, according to the data.
And a third vaccine may be on the way to the American market soon: Johnson & Johnson applied to the Food and Drug Administration for an emergency use authorization for its vaccine last week.

What we know about variants and vaccines

But Covid-19 variants have also complicated things for some vaccines. Here’s what we know.

Health experts continue to encourage Americans to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Research published last month offered reassuring evidence that people vaccinated against the virus will also be protected against new emerging variants.
Here are the states that allow teachers to receive Covid-19 vaccines
Moderna previously said that two doses of its vaccine are expected to protect against variants first detected in the UK and South Africa, but added that it plans to test booster doses as a precaution. Pfizer also said last month that it was “laying the groundwork” for creating vaccine boosters if a variant “shows evidence of escape from immunity by our vaccine”.
Meanwhile, South African health officials said on Sunday that they are halting the launch of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine in the country after a study showed that it offers reduced protection against the variant first identified there.

The first data released on Sunday suggested that two doses of the vaccine provided only “minimal protection” against the mild and moderate Covid-19 variant. The effectiveness of the vaccine against severe Covid-19, hospitalization and death has not been evaluated.

South Africa stops launching AstraZeneca vaccine after study shows it offers less protection against the variant

An AstraZeneca spokesman said in a statement: “We believe that our vaccine will still protect against serious diseases” of the variant and added that “the neutralizing antibody activity is equivalent to other COVID-19 vaccines that have shown activity against more serious diseases, especially when the dosage interval is optimized for 8-12 weeks. “

Super Bowl Party Concerns

Authorities continued to remind Americans that it is not just vaccines that will help slow the pandemic in the coming months. It is also the public health measures that have proven to be effective in curbing the spread of the virus: masks, social distance, avoiding encounters and washing your hands regularly.

It is still safer to avoid indoor meals, even if more states allow
But some chose to leave those suggestions at home on the weekend before and after the Super Bowl. Images emerged in Tampa, Florida, of crowded streets and venues, as well as events with unmasked attendees and celebrity-sponsored parties.
“I am extremely concerned,” Dr. Melissa Clarke, a member of the District of Columbia advisory committee on vaccine distribution, told CNN on Sunday. “Now, we are facing the problems not just of the Super Bowl parties, but the fact that it will be spring soon and spring fever will set in and people who have been caged in their homes all winter will want to leave. “

“I would like to warn everyone: please remember to continue practicing these behaviors and not get tired of Covid,” added Clarke. “Continue to mask, continue the distance, continue to avoid crowds.”

What will it take to reopen schools

Mitigation measures will play an especially important role in helping schools to reopen safely, two officials said on Sunday, as the CDC is expected to release guidelines soon on how schools can open during the pandemic.

Chicago Public Schools reach provisional agreement with teachers' union, says mayor

The safe reopening of schools is “a simple question, but with a complicated answer, because it really depends on the level of infection in the community,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told NBC on Sunday.

On the one hand, communities must work for teachers to be vaccinated quickly, said Fauci. And there should also be a focus on getting schools to reopen, including masks and adequate ventilation, among other measures.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former FDA commissioner, told CBS that when it comes to reopening schools, “the prerequisite is to implement mitigation measures in schools”.

San Francisco school district and unions reach provisional agreement on reopening for face-to-face learning

He noted that when people wore masks and were socially distant, there was “very little transmission within the classroom”.

And while it’s good to prioritize teachers for vaccines, he said, “I don’t think it’s necessarily a prerequisite. I think schools have demonstrated that they can open safely if they take precautions in the classroom.”

His recommendation comes amid an ongoing struggle in many parts of the country over how to safely resume classes.

Announcements about interim agreements paving the way back to face-to-face education came from San Francisco and Chicago on Sunday, where officials discussed with school officials about the best approach for a return.

Jamie Gumbrecht, Amanda Sealy, Sharif Paget and Naomi Thomas of CNN contributed to this report.

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