For many Americans, it may seem that we are already at the end of the pandemic. With more than 25 million people in the United States fully vaccinated and the COVID cases on a very downward trajectory, there is light at the end of the tunnel. However, many health experts warned against the celebration prematurely. Recently, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Rochelle Walensky, MD, warned that soon we could be facing a fourth wave of COVID. Read on to find out what she thinks could lead to another outbreak and to learn more about the current state of the pandemic, Dr. Fauci said she is concerned about COVID in these 2 states.
During a press conference by the White House Task Force COVID-19 on March 1, Walensky made clear the risk of another sudden increase in COVID. “I remain deeply concerned about a possible change in the path of the pandemic,” she said. However, she noted that there are ways to avoid another wave. “We have the ability to prevent a potential fourth increase in cases in this country.”
Walensky pointed out the new variants and the lack of necessary public health precautions as the two things that could fuel a fourth wave of the pandemic. And for essential vaccine guidance, Dr. Fauci Just Said Do not take this medicine with the COVID vaccine.
“The most recent seven-day average of cases, approximately 67,200, represents an increase of just over 2 percent compared to the previous seven days,” said Walensky. ABC News reported that before this jump in cases, the US had seen a six-week drop in cases. The director of the CDC attributes this increase, in part, to the new strains of COVID that circulate in the country. “Please listen to me clearly – at this level of cases with the spread of variants, we can completely lose the ground we have gained with so much effort. These variants are a very real threat to our people and our progress,” she continued.
On March 3, Reuters reported that scientists are feeling less optimistic about the pandemic’s trajectory in recent weeks due to the variants. According to Reuters, health experts predict that the virus will continue to “cause a significant burden of disease and death for years to come” as long as the variants are circulating.
COVID White House Adviser Anthony Fauci, MD, told Reuters that even after his vaccination, he still plans to wear a mask if variants are in circulation. “All you need is a little touch of a variant [sparking] another increase and there goes your forecast “about when life will return to normal, he said. And to learn more about the current spread of the coronavirus, COVID numbers are now increasing again in these 10 states.
“I am really concerned about reports that more states are reversing the exact public health measures that we recommend to protect people from COVID-19,” said Walensky. “I understand the temptation to do this: 70,000 cases a day looks good compared to where we were just a few months ago, but we cannot settle for 70,000 cases a day, 2,000 deaths daily.”
Walensky’s comments came at a time when several states announced relaxed restrictions on coronavirus, including the revocation of mask mandates and the reopening of companies at 100 percent capacity. According to ABC News, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, Kentucky, South Carolina, North Carolina and Texas abandoned mitigation measures.
“Now is not the time to relax the critical safeguards that we know can prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, not when we are so close,” added Walensky. “Please remain firm in your belief. Continue to wear your tight-fitting mask and take the other public health prevention measures that we know will work.” And for the most up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Walensky said that vaccination is what will end the pandemic, but stressed that, for that, we need to vaccinate many more people, which will not happen overnight.
Fauci expressed a similar sentiment on January 21, during his first press conference at the White House under the new government. He explained that vaccination is the key to preventing the creation of new strains. “Viruses don’t mutate unless they replicate,” he said. We can suppress the replication of the virus with “a very good vaccination campaign, so you could really avoid the deleterious effect that you can get from mutations”. And to learn more about vaccination, doctors are warning you to “be prepared” for it after the second dose.