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Tracking contacts is no longer possible in the southern US due to rapid increases in coronavirus numbers, says health expert

2020-07-08T20:08:18.313Z


A health expert says that due to the large number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the southern US, it is no longer possible to trace contacts of those infected with covid-19.


What is "contact tracking" for? 1:34

(CNN) - Despite hopes of relief this summer, the United States is battling the first wave of the covid-19 pandemic, so much so that it is no longer possible to trace contacts in the south and southwest of the country, said a health expert.

“Cases are increasing so fast that we can't even keep track of contacts. I don't see how that can be done, ”Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of tropical medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Monday.

His comment comes as the United States approaches the 3 million officially reported cases. The country averaged just under 50,000 new cases daily in the past week, the highest rate on record and double that of a month ago.

The rapid increase in cases is considered an increase, not a second wave, because infection numbers never decreased where officials expected them to, said director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, in a live feed from Facebook and Twitter this Monday.

"We are still knee deep in the first wave," Fauci said.

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More than 130,300 people in the United States have died from coronavirus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Although Florida set a record for most new cases in a single day over the weekend, Florida Department of Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran announced in an emergency order Monday that his schools will open their doors in August. .

But the state is among at least 24 states that are pausing or delaying their plans to reopen for the summer in light of growing cases.

"Let's wait and see," Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said Monday about moving to Phase 3 of his state's plan, which means the state will keep bars and restaurants closed at 50% capacity. "I know how frustrating it can be, but right now, with this pandemic breaking out in most other states, this is not the time to take risks."

"We are in free fall"

At least 31 states have shown an upward trend in the average of new daily cases, an increase of at least 10% in the last seven days as of Tuesday morning, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Those states are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New Jersey, North Carolina, Dakota del North, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington State, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Only four states have seen an average decrease in daily cases of more than 10% during those seven days: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

One of the main case drivers now could be "silent separators," or people who are asymptomatic or presymptomatic, according to a new study.

The report, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that asymptomatic or presymptomatic hosts could be responsible for half of the cases.

"We are in free fall," said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, chief of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital. “You see the images of what happened last weekend. And people are naive before the influence of their actions, or simply resign themselves to ignore it. "

After weeks of health officials encouraging the public to wear face masks, at least 35 states along with Washington and Puerto Rico have implemented facial coverage requirements to help mitigate the spread of the virus.

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Increasing cases threaten hospital capacity

As the spread increases, concerns arise about exceeding the capacity of hospitals.

Along with 1,214 new cases, Dallas County, Texas reported a 16% increase in new hospitalizations on Monday.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins issued a letter urging the governor to implement more restrictions statewide as the state reaches its highest number in both categories.

"Think about hospitalizations for the sickest among the sick, the part of the iceberg on the water. For the numbers to increase dramatically with hospitalizations, the amount of iceberg under water must grow exponentially, "said Jenkins.

In Florida, 43 hospitals in 21 counties, including Miami-Dade, Broward, Hillsborough and Orange counties, have reached capacity and show zero beds available in the ICU, according to data released by the Agency for Health Care Administration ( AHCA).

In response to President Donald Trump's claim that 99% of coronavirus cases are "totally harmless," Dr. Boris Lushniak told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on his Situation Room show Monday that hospitalizations tell a story. different.

Yes, some people are asymptomatic. Yes, some people have mild cases of illness. But, in essence, we also have many people hospitalized, ”said Lushniak, dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Health and a former deputy director-general for health services.

“These are not harmless cases; this is not a harmless pandemic. And we must be strong enough to start correcting the president, "he said.

United States Commits $ 1.6 Billion To Covid-19 Vaccine Maker Novavax

The United States government has announced that it will deliver the government's largest covid-19 vaccine contract to date, as the race to find and deliver an effective vaccine continues.

Operation Warp Speed, the federal government's covid-19 vaccine program, announced a $ 1.6 billion contract Tuesday with Novavax, a Maryland biotech company.

Novavax is the fourth company to receive federal funding to conduct large-scale Phase 3 clinical trials and manufacture its covid-19 vaccine. Each trial is expected to include 30,000 people.

Novavax's $ 1.6 billion will allow the company to test the vaccine and increase production before possible approval, with the goal of delivering 100 million doses by February, Stanley Erck, manager and CEO of Novavax, told CNN.

- CNN's Shelby Lin Erdman, Elizabeth Cohen, John Bonifield, Andrea Kane, Alta Spells, Kay Jones, Rosa Flores and Rebekah Riess contributed to this report.

covid-19

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2020-07-08

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