‘Close to a worst case scenario’ – ex-CDC director presents a ‘horrible’ new strain perspective

‘Close to a worst case scenario’ – ex-CDC director presents a ‘horrible’ new strain perspective

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Top line

Former CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden is warning that the United States may soon face “almost the worst case scenario” as a new highly contagious strain of Covid-19 spreads across the country, warning that full hospitals in the United States may soon be the norm.

Key Facts

Frieden said of the strain that is spreading rapidly across the UK and Ireland: “I have never seen an epidemic curve like this.”

The UK has an average of almost 60,000 new cases per day now, after an average of around 15,000 new cases per day in early December, while Ireland’s growth has been even faster.

Both countries are under strict restrictions, but cases continue to rise at a rate that Frieden – who spent decades working in public health – says he has never seen.

Eight states (Connecticut, Texas, Pennsylvania, Georgia, New York, Florida, California and Colorado) confirmed at least one case of the new strain, which was identified in England in December.

There is concern that tension is already spreading widely in the United States; the first confirmed case on December 29 was a man in rural Colorado who had no recent travel history.

Crucial Quote

“The next 11+ days are awful. Uncontrolled spread. Slow release of the vaccine. Worrying variants, ”Frieden wrote in a tweet on Friday. “Potential for perfect storm. Political turmoil and leadership vacuum. “

great number

56%. That’s how much more transmissible the new strain can be compared to other Covid-19 strains, according to a study by the London School of Hygiene And Tropical Medicine.

Key Background

The coronavirus pandemic is taking a worse toll in the United States now than at any time in the nearly one year that the virus has been in the United States. For the first time, more than 4,000 deaths were reported in a single day on Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University – the third consecutive day the United States has set a new death record. More than 130,000 patients are hospitalized by Covid in the U.S., according to The COVID Tracking Project, while the count of new daily cases has exceeded 250,000 in two of the past six days.

What to watch

Vaccine delivery has been much slower than expected, as many states do not appear to have adequate plans for dissemination. President-elect Joe Biden said that when he takes office on January 20, he plans to allow almost all of the coronavirus vaccine to be distributed, in an interval of the Trump administration, which has insured the vaccines to ensure that those receiving a shot will take a second shot.

Further Reading

Newest UK contagious coronavirus strain found in Connecticut – Here are the states with cases so far (Forbes)

The new coronavirus strain is 56% more infectious, scientists estimate (Forbes)

Biden says he will release almost all available coronavirus vaccines before second doses are administered

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