The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

7 myths that fuel new coronavirus spikes: avoiding them will save lives

2020-07-07T17:45:26.346Z


It's easy to fall into a false sense of security now that states in the US have reopened. And many are already paying the price.


Hospitalizations for coronavirus increase in Miami-Dade 2:07

(CNN) -  It's easy to fall into a false sense of security now that states in the US have reopened. And many are already paying the price.

There are states closing businesses again. Some popular beaches will be closed too. And the rate of new covid-19 infections continues to grow in most states, while threatening to reverse the progress made during confinement orders.

  • LOOK: The United States has 4% of the world population but 25% of global coronavirus cases

So what happened? When states reopened to try to save the economy, the fate of this pandemic shifted from government hands to individual responsibility.

But many are not abiding by that responsibility, but have let their guard down too soon due to myths:

"If the economy is open, the pandemic is improving, right?"

No. "This is not even close to ending," warned the director of the World Health Organization this week.

Only about 5% to 8% of the US population has been infected with coronavirus, which means that we have a long way to go before we achieve collective immunity.

How long does convalescent plasma immunity last?

Collective immunity generally occurs when between 70% and 90% of a population is immune to an infectious disease, either because people have been infected and recovered, or because they have been vaccinated.

But it will be many months before a covid-19 vaccine is publicly available, if an effective one can be created that may be available.

There is also no cure for the new coronavirus. So the only way to control this deadly pandemic is through individual behavior, such as staying 2 meters away from others, even in social situations, and wearing a protective mask.

  • READ: What is the best material to make your own mask? Padded cotton beats the scarf, according to a new study

"It is critical that we all take personal responsibility for delaying transmission of covid-19 and that we embrace the universal use of face shields," said Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on Tuesday ( CDC).

More than 127,000 Americans have died from covid-19 in less than six months, with hundreds of more deaths each passing day.

"I am young and healthy, so I am not worried"

New covid-19 infections have soared in Generation Z and millennial age groups. And although the death rate is lower among young adults, many struggle with the long-term effects of the disease.

"Specifically, I'm targeting the youngest members of our society, millennials and Generation Z," said Redfield when asking for facials. "I ask those who are listening to spread the word," he insisted.

  • LOOK: A 23-year-old girl took precautions and still got coronavirus in Texas

In Florida, the average age group of people infected in March was 60. But over the past few weeks, that average age has plummeted for young adults in their 30s, Governor Ron DeSantis explained in late June.

The rapid increase in infections in Florida "is being driven by that group of 18 to 35 years," said DeSantis.

After Florida began its reopening in early May, Erika Crisp and 15 friends went out to celebrate a birthday in a bar where no one wore a mask. The 16 friends contracted covid-19.

Group of 16 friends test positive for covid-19 after a night in a bar 3:50

During their night out, the virus appeared to be "out of sight, out of mind" because they did not know anyone who had become infected, Crisp said. The group also had a false sense of security, he explained, because its governor said it was safe to reopen.

"I feel silly. It is too early, ”added Crisp.

For her part, Dr. Jen Caudle, from New Jersey, noted that she has seen young patients experience serious or long-term complications from covid-19, including strokes, shortness of breath, fatigue, or loss of taste and smell. after recovering from the virus.

Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert, 28, was the first NBA athlete to report a positive covid-19 result last March. Three months later, he still has not fully recovered, Gobert told French sports publication L'Equipe.

Criticism of NBA player for playing microphones 1:14

Days before his diagnosis, Gobert ignored the pandemic when he jokingly touched each microphone during a press conference.

He subsequently publicly apologized and urged the public not to fall into a false sense of security as he did.

"I wish I had taken this more seriously, and I hope everyone else will," said Gobert.

"We check the temperature of all employees / customers / guests"

Temperature checks will not detect asymptomatic or presymptomatic carriers of coronavirus, who do not feel sick but are contagious.

  • READ: What is the difference between asymptomatic and presymptomatic spread? Does it matter with the coronavirus?

An estimated 40% of coronavirus transmissions occur when there are no symptoms, according to the CDC.

Even those who do have symptoms may not have a fever. In fact, many older adults - the age group most likely to have severe complications from covid-19 - do not have a fever at all.

"I don't need to wear a mask"

"As economies re-open more and more, masks are more important, not less important," said Jeremy Howard, a scientific researcher at the University of San Francisco.

Howard has spent much of the past four months in Texas, where he noted the use of face masks as the state began to reopen.

This is the most effective mask against covid-19 1:24

Now Texas is facing a dangerous resurgence of covid-19, which has forced the governor to close some deals again. Abbott recently issued a decree requiring the use of masks.

At least 20 states and the city of Washington now demand the mandatory use of masks in public when social distancing cannot be possible.

Arizona and Florida do not require the use of face masks. The two states currently register infection rates that are among the highest in the country, while Arizona closes bars, gyms and other businesses to deal with the crisis.

If 95% of Americans wore face masks in public, 33,000 deaths could be prevented by Oct. 1, according to the University of Washington Institute for Health Assessment and Metrics (IHME).

  • READ: Protective masks: why the guidelines have changed so much and how using them can help the economy?

The director general of Health of the United States, Dr. Jerome Adams, assured that if you want more businesses to open and remain in operation, you should wear a mask.

"Some feel that facial coatings violate their freedom of choice, but if more people wear them, we will have MORE freedom to go out," Adams, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, tweeted.

“Face protections → less asymptomatic viral spread → more open places, and in less time! Exercise and promote your freedom by deciding to use a face covering! ”, He insisted.

"The death rate is going down, so things are getting better, right?"

The United States recently reported its highest number of new covid-19 cases in a single day, and doctors say the infection rate is outpacing the increase in screening tests.

"Our daily case / new infection rate has really skyrocketed to more than 40,000," said Dr. Jonathan Reiner, professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine.

Florida records spike in youth covid-19 infections 2:11

Health experts indicate that current spikes in new cases coincide with what happened several weeks ago, when states began to reopen and many people abandoned security measures, such as wearing face masks or maintaining social distancing.

However, as new cases skyrocket, the daily number of deaths from covid-19 has declined overall. But, don't be fooled by that, doctors warn.

First, coronavirus deaths are usually delayed compared to new infections. It may take up to two weeks for symptoms to appear. After that, people may not be able to get tested immediately. So it can take even longer for severe cases to require hospitalization.

"It takes about a week after someone gets infected until they get sick enough to be hospitalized, and then usually about a week after that until the deaths start to register," Reiner explained.

Contagions drop in New York while they rise in 20 other states 5:56

"In a way, we have stalled at the death rate that fluctuates between 600 and 800 deaths every day ... Obviously, everyone is concerned that the death rate will start to rise again."

Second, many of the newly infected are young people who are less likely to die from the virus. But they can still easily infect others simply by talking or breathing.

Given current transmission rates, "we will reach 100,000 cases per day" in the United States, said internal medicine specialist Dr. Jorge Rodríguez.

With this virus, "one person - on average - infects three others, and we are already at 40,000" new cases reported daily, Rodríguez said Tuesday.

"My coronavirus test came back negative"

This is not an excuse to stop taking precautions.

"Sometimes there are false negatives, which means you have the disease but the test doesn't detect it," according to Penn Medicine.

  • LOOK: What really happens during a coronavirus test?

"Since it is possible to get a negative result even when you have coronavirus, it is important to be careful even when you receive a negative result."

Even if the negative test result is correct, there is also a chance that you have been infected since the test was performed.

"Maybe we should let nature take its course and achieve collective immunity"

That is not a good idea because some intensive care units are already at or near their maximum capacity, Rodríguez said.

Even if you contract coronavirus but don't become seriously ill, the virus is highly contagious, and you could infect other people who will need hospitalization.

And that could reduce care for anyone else who needs it, like car accident victims or people with heart attacks.

"People are admitted to the hospital and intensive care units faster than they are discharged" by the coronavirus, explained Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association.

  • READ: What is collective immunity and why for some would end the coronavirus pandemic?

Humble said he is concerned that hospitals fall into "crisis care standards," which basically means "less care for everyone, not just for people with covid-19."

There's another problem with waiting for herd immunity, too: This virus is so new that no one knows if the antibodies developed after recovery will provide long-term immunity.

But the CDC director indicated that we can all help stop this deadly pandemic. Only individual responsibility is needed.

"We have powerful tools at our disposal: social distancing, wearing a mask in public, and being disciplined with frequent handwashing," Redfield reiterated.

"We are not helpless against this disease," he insisted.

CNN's Zachary B. Wolf, Alicia Lee, and Amanda Watts all contributed to this report.

Contagioscovid-19masksmasksPandemiaReopeningVictims

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2020-07-07

You may like

Life/Entertain 2024-02-12T09:04:30.175Z

Trends 24h

News/Politics 2024-03-28T06:04:53.137Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.