By Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P] .
After a decrease in COVID-19 positive cases in previous months due to mass vaccination, infections have shown a considerable increase in the last few days, mostly due to people who have not been immunized.
The situation could result in an increase in hospitalizations and possible deaths, which may well have been preventable.
So said experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who in a session with the media organized by Ethnic Media Services, agreed that if this situation continues, the pandemic could again spiral out of control.
And is that yesterday, July 15, 33 thousand new cases of COVID-19 were detected, while the average in the last seven days is around 26 300 cases, representing an increase in the number of infections of almost 70 percent of the average compared to the previous week.
The arc of inpatient admissions is about 2,790 per day, an increase of 36 percent from the previous seven-day period. This represents an increase of 26 percent per day with 211 cases per day.
"It's clear to many of us that this is becoming a pandemic of unvaccinated people, who are responsible for most of the new infections and hospitalizations," detailed Dr. Jose T. Montero, director of the CDC's State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support Center.
The expert detailed that people who are not vaccinated account for the majority of new infections, hospitalizations and deaths. "I have seen outbreaks of cases in different parts of the country, especially in those places with low vaccination coverage because unvaccinated people are at risk, while communities that are fully vaccinated are doing much better," he said.
He recalled that while it is true that in January the country had an average of 200,000 daily cases, and the 33,000 yesterday did not reach that high figure, there is a significant increase in COVID-19 infections week after week, as in the last 7 days there was an increase of 70 percent.
"It's pretty clear that this pandemic is not over. The good news is that if you are vaccinated you have good protection against COVID-19 and possible hospitalization, and you are protected against the variants that are circulating in the country today," he stressed.
In that sense, Dr. Montero recalled that the Delta variant has increased transmissibility, which basically means that the virus can spread easily between people.
That strain is estimated to be the most prevalent variant in the United States, accounting for more than 57 percent of the samples sequenced nationwide, compared with only 26 percent in mid-June.
Montero said the data suggest that the FDA-licensed vaccines being administered in the country -- Pfizer, Moderna and J&J -- protect against the Delta variant and others.
Infection curve is changing
In this regard, epidemiologist Lauri Hicks, from the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, explained that the country is experiencing a process of change in the decrease of cases.
"We are in a process of change. We are seeing an increase in COVID-19 infections in areas where people are not vaccinated," he said.
In this regard, he reiterated the importance of get fully vaccinatedAccording to CDC data, there is an extraordinarily high rate of protection for people who have been fully immunized with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines that require two doses, even better than other vaccines that also require more than one dose, such as those for hepatitis or varicella.
"I want to reiterate that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are most effective when given in two doses in a series. Both vaccines provide effective protection after two weeks from the second dose with each vaccine 90 percent effective against COVID-19, including severe infections."
"Not completing the series again puts people at risk of disease, including the highly contagious Delta variant. We know that getting vaccinated three to four weeks after the first vaccination can be difficult, but after noticing an increase in variants we want to encourage people to get vaccinated on time," he stressed.
In this sense, the specialist stressed that you should not restart the series if you receive the second dose late, even if it is after the recommended three or four weeks.
On the other hand, the immunologist said that certain communities, regardless of geography, are also experiencing lower vaccination rates, coupled with those of greater vulnerability, where gender, age of the population, education, social and economic status, and access to health care are involved.
Thus, adolescents represent the most effective strategy to prevent infection and control the pandemic, so they encouraged this sector to be vaccinated as soon as possible, because in addition to being at risk of infection, they put their family, loved ones and community at risk.
Trust, the key in the great challenge of vaccination for all
It is important to note that reaching all unvaccinated people is a major challenge, as there are a number of factors and barriers for some communities, where trust in vaccines is key.
"We're really working on increasing confidence in vaccines. We know that providers are the most trusted source of information, so we want to make sure they have the information and can inform and educate patients," Hicks said.
He stressed that the CDC is working with a number of different medical, community, clinical and faith-based organizations to reach the most vulnerable and under-vaccinated communities, including support for the National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants and Migrants.
Back to masking?
Experts agreed that declines in the number of people getting vaccinated are once again leading to places where immunization has been advanced to have to use masks again.
However, they stressed that preventive measures have not gone away, and that on the contrary, should be maintained, such is the case of the use of masks, avoiding crowded or closed places, social distancing, and hand washing.
So far, 336 million 604 thousand 158 doses of one of the vaccines approved by the country have been administered in the country. Thus, 185 million 424,899 people have at least one dose of the inoculation, while 160 million 686,378 people are fully immunized, which means only 48.4 percent of the eligible population. There is a long way to go to see the light at the end of the tunnel for this pandemic and getting vaccinated is the way to attack it.
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