THE UNITED STATES IS AT A TURNING POINT IN ITS FIGHT TO STOP THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. The U.S. is at a pivotal point in its fight to stop the COVID-19 pandemic, because even though there are enough vaccines and several states have adopted increasingly stringent measures to protect their residents, the Delta variant is causing not only more infections, but hospitalizations and deaths, especially in those who do not believe, do not approve and do not want to be vaccinated.
Dr. Peggy Honein, coordinator of the state, tribal, local and territorial support working group in the response of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that, unfortunately, there are 150,000 new positive cases of the disease in the country every day, when in June of this year there was a daily average of 12,000 cases.
During a briefing with the media held by Ethnic Media ServicesThe expert explained that the daily average of new admissions to the hospital is 12,000, while deaths are 1,000.
In total, 640,000 deaths and nearly 40 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported.
"This pandemic continues to take a heavy toll despite the availability of proven mitigation measures and highly effective vaccines. We are seeing an increase in cases, an increase in emergency department visits, hospital admissions and an increase in deaths," he stressed.
He explained that in terms of vaccination, the country is below 53 percent of the U.S. population fully vaccinated, and only in the range of those aged 65 and over does the number rise to 82 percent, the complete opposite in the case of those between 12 and 17 years, whose figure is reduced to 40 percent.
That latest data has put health authorities on alert, he said, as positive cases in the 12-17 age group increased significantly over the summer, especially in July and August, leading to an increase in emergency department visits.
"We've been tracking all the cases of ER visits and hospitalizations, but we're especially concerned about children and the burden of this disease on them, and we're seeing something similar to what we're seeing in the population as a whole," she said.
And while Vermont has a 60 percent vaccination rate for ages 12 to 17, states like Mississippi have only 11 percent. And it's in those places with the lowest immunization rates that the highest number of emergency room visits and hospitalizations occur.
"I bring this up because it really highlights the role that the community and protecting children can play. At the moment there is no licensed vaccine for children under 12, but we can all do our part to protect children by vaccinating as many people as possible over the age of 12 and using other mitigation strategies such as the use of masks to reduce transmission."
Comprehensive back-to-school prevention
Dr. Honein added that, with schools opening across the country in the coming weeks, transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19 can be prevented with a comprehensive, layered approach.
This, he explained, "using not just one type of prevention but several, such as: promoting vaccination, consistent and correct universal mask use, physical distancing, screening as a way to identify cases so they can be isolated quickly...hand washing and staying home when sick.
"We need to keep sickness rates low and our schools open for face-to-face education, because it has become even clearer in the last year how important schools are not just for education, but for the overall mental and physical health of our children."
And, he said, it is easy for transmission to occur "if we let our guard down and reduce any of these preventive measures".
"Everyone must work together to implement those prevention activities throughout the community so that we can reduce transmission in the community and also make sure that we can keep our schools safe and open for our children."
Safe travel
Closed spaces are a focal point for the transmission of COVID-19, so Dr. Cindy Friedman, of the CDC's Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, reminded that when thinking about traveling within the country should consider being fully vaccinated and take precautions to avoid infection and spread of the virus.
"If you're already vaccinated, you don't need to be tested before and after you travel or quarantined, but each state and local government may have their own recommendations or requirements," she said.
For those arriving in the country, there is an order requiring travelers to show a negative test for COVID-19 no later than 72 hours prior to travel.
For those who want to know state-specific restrictions before traveling, you can check them out through the CDC website, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-planner/index.html.
Third dose for the most vulnerable
Jennifer Layden, Ph.D., leader of the Strategic Science Unit within the CDC's COVID-19 response, recommended that people with compromised immune systems receive an additional dose of the vaccine, as suggested by the CDC as far back as last August.
"They should get it at least 28 days after the second dose because we know they are especially vulnerable to COVID and may not develop the same level of immunity with the two-vaccine series."
However, he said, it could be as early as this fall before it's determined whether the third dose will be needed for the remaining vaccine-eligible groups.
"CDC experts are analyzing the available data to understand how well the vaccines are working, including against new variants like Delta," he said.
Notably, evidence so far has shown that the risk of Covid-19 infection remained low for those who received the vaccine, as the effectiveness of the vaccine against severe symptomatic infection dropped from 91 percent to 66 percent once the Delta variant became predominant, he said.
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