US Coronavirus: Experts say it is a fierce dispute between coronavirus variants and vaccines in the US, as air travel hits record highs and spring break crowds grow

US Coronavirus: Experts say it is a fierce dispute between coronavirus variants and vaccines in the US, as air travel hits record highs and spring break crowds grow

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It is a “neck to neck” race between the two, says an expert.

“This is a turning point,” Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN on Saturday. “This will be our most difficult period now in terms of seeing who wins.”

With less than a quarter of all Americans having received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine – and only about 13% fully vaccinated -, doubling security measures now is what could help stem another outbreak, experts emphasized. repeatedly.
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“If we can wait another month, another six weeks, it will make a big difference,” added Hotez.

Instead, air travel is breaking records for the pandemic era, with the TSA examining more than 1.4 million people at airports on Friday – the biggest day for air travel in more than a year.
Spring break crowds are growing, with Miami Beach officials declaring a state of emergency on Saturday in response to the crowds the mayor says was “more than we can handle”.
And at least a dozen governors – and several local leaders – have eased restrictions this month, while several have completely eliminated mask mandates.
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Increasing cases and hospitalizations in Michigan

In Michigan, where the governor announced a series of easing restrictions earlier this month, officials now say the state may be at the beginning of another increase.
“Our progress with Covid-19 is fragile,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan’s chief medical officer, at a news conference on Friday. “Although we are making great progress in our vaccination efforts and many people are doing the right thing wearing masks and not coming together in large groups, what we are seeing now is very worrying data that shows that we are going in the wrong direction. “
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Case rates increased last month, Khaldun said, and have increased 77% since mid-February.

The percentage of Covid-19 positive tests in the state has also increased by 177% since mid-February, Khaldun said. And hospitalization rates have also increased in the past two weeks, added Khaldun.

Michigan also reported the second highest number of cases of variant B.1.1.7 in the country, after Florida, according to CDC data.

“It is extremely worrying,” Dr. Rob Davidson, a state emergency room physician, told CNN on Saturday. “We know that in the past, cases increased, then hospitalizations and deaths followed.”

Davidson told CNN that he is even more concerned now that variants are circulating and hopes that the state can make enough progress to protect residents.

“It remains to be seen,” said Davidson. “We just prefer not to wait to find out. We prefer people to dress up, keep their distance and reduce those numbers.”

Track Covid-19 case numbers in the U.S.

‘A growing threat in our country’

There are several dangerous variants that concern experts.
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But at the front and in the center is variant B.1.1.7, which was first seen in the UK and is spreading rapidly across the USA.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that it will become the dominant variant of the virus in the United States later this month or early April.

Variant B.1.1.7 “is probably responsible for about 20 to 30% of infections in this country and that number is growing,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci during a meeting at the White House on Friday.

It is more contagious and can cause more serious illnesses, added Fauci. Recent research also suggests that the variant may also be associated with an increased risk of dying from Covid-19.

The good news: vaccines seem to protect well against the variant, said Fauci, and treatments like monoclonal antibodies also seem to work against it.

“The way to combat 1.1.7, which is a growing threat in our country, is to do two things: vaccinate as many people as quickly and as quickly as possible with a vaccine that we know works against this variant. And finally, implement the public health measures that we talk about all the time, ”said Fauci.

“Masking, physical distance and avoiding crowded environments, especially indoors,” he added.

More than 43 million Americans fully vaccinated

So far, more than 79 million Americans have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, according to CDC data, and more than 43 million are fully vaccinated.
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The growing numbers are encouraging, but experts say the country still has a long way to go to reach the levels needed to suppress the spread of the virus – and must face the vaccine’s hesitation, as well as the political divisions that are in the way.

In Missouri, Governor Mike Parson said on Friday that while he encourages everyone to get vaccinated and thinks it is the right thing to do, he knows that there will be “a certain number of people” who will not get the vaccine “, and they has every right to do that. “

“We have to do a better job to ensure that everyone understands the importance of the vaccine, and still maintain the respect of people who don’t want to get the vaccine, and it will be a challenge to see how many people we can be made, but we will do everything we can. “said the governor.

A recent CNN poll conducted by the SSRS showed that while 92% of Democrats say they received a dose of the vaccine or plan to get it, that drops to 50% among Republicans. In Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp said earlier this month that officials across the state are working with local organizations, such as local churches and civic clubs, to combat vaccine hesitation – including among white Republicans.

To get more gunshots faster, many state leaders have also extended eligibility guidelines, with some already setting a date for when all requirements will be lifted.
Here’s what states have said so far about Covid-19 vaccine eligibility

CNN’s Pete Muntean, Carma Hassan, Mirna Alsharif and Alec Snyder contributed to this report.

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