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The US is in the 'eye of the hurricane' for variants of covid-19, says expert

2021-02-08T12:16:07.515Z


Despite the drop in COVID-19 infections, now is not the time for Americans to let their guard down. How did covid-19 change the world? These kids tell you 4:18 (CNN) - While a recent drop in COVID-19 infections may seem encouraging, experts warn that now is not the time for Americans to let their guard down. That's largely due to new variants circulating in the US, putting the country once again in the "eye of the hurricane," according to one expert. "I've been on Zoom calls for the past two


How did covid-19 change the world?

These kids tell you 4:18

(CNN) -

While a recent drop in COVID-19 infections may seem encouraging, experts warn that now is not the time for Americans to let their guard down.

That's largely due to new variants circulating in the US, putting the country once again in the "eye of the hurricane," according to one expert.

"I've been on Zoom calls for the past two weeks about how we're going to handle this," Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN Sunday.

"The great wall is about to hit us again and these are the new variants."

So far, nearly 700 cases of covid-19 variants detected for the first time have been reported in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil, according to data updated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The vast majority of those cases are the B.1.1.7 strain, which was first detected in the UK and has now been detected in at least 33 states.

Experts say the highly contagious variant will likely soon become dominant in the US A new study found that significant community transmission may already be occurring.

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"This could really be very serious for our country as we approach spring," Hotez said of the variants.

Now, we are in a race.

We are in a race to see how quickly we can vaccinate the American people. "

On Sunday, the US surpassed the 27 million reported infections, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

More than 31 million Americans have so far received at least their first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, according to CDC data, as officials work to scale up vaccines across the country.

More than 9 million people have received both doses of a vaccine so far, according to the data.

And a third vaccine could be on its way to the US market soon: Johnson & Johnson applied to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for an emergency use authorization for its vaccine last week.

What we know about variants and vaccines

But covid-19 variants have also complicated things for some vaccines.

This is what we know.

Health experts continue to encourage Americans to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Research published last month offered reassuring evidence that people vaccinated against the virus will likely also be protected against new emerging variants.

Moderna previously said that two doses of its vaccine are expected to protect against variants first detected in the UK and South Africa, but added that it planned to try booster injections as a precaution.

Pfizer also said last month that it was "laying the groundwork" for creating vaccine enhancers if a variant "shows evidence that our vaccine escapes immunity."

Meanwhile, health officials in South Africa said on Sunday they are pausing the country's launch of AstraZeneca's covid-19 vaccine after a study showed it offered reduced protection of the variant first identified there.

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study shows less protection against covid-19 variant

The first data published on Sunday suggested that two doses of the vaccine provided only "minimal protection" against mild and moderate variant COVID-19.

The efficacy of the vaccine against severe COVID-19, hospitalization and death was not evaluated.

An AstraZeneca spokesperson said in a statement: 'We believe our vaccine will continue to protect against serious diseases' of the variant, adding that' the neutralizing antibody activity is equivalent to other covid-19 vaccines that have shown activity against more serious diseases, particularly when the dosing interval is optimized to 8-12 weeks. '

Concerns about Super Bowl parties

Authorities have continued to remind Americans that it is not just vaccines that will help curb the pandemic in the coming months.

It is also public health measures that have been shown to be effective in curbing the spread of the virus: face masks, social distancing, avoiding gatherings, and washing hands regularly.

But some chose to leave those suggestions at home for the weekend before and after the Super Bowl.

Images emerged from Tampa, Florida, of crowded streets and venues, as well as events with unmasked attendees and parties hosted by celebrities.

"I'm extremely concerned," Dr. Melissa Clarke, a member of the District of Columbia's Advisory Committee on Vaccine Distribution, told CNN on Sunday.

"Now, we are faced with the problems of not only the Super Bowl parties, but the fact that spring is coming soon and spring fever is coming and people who have been caged in their houses all winter will want to get out."

"I warn everyone: remember to continue practicing those behaviors and not have COVID fatigue," Clarke added.

"Keep wearing a mask, keep keeping your distance, keep avoiding crowds."

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What is required to reopen schools

Mitigation measures will play an especially key role in helping schools reopen safely, two officials said Sunday, while the CDC is expected to soon release guidelines on how schools can open during the pandemic.

Safe reopening of schools is "a simple question but with a complicated answer, because it really depends on the level of infection in the community," Dr. Anthony Fauci told NBC on Sunday.

On the one hand, communities should work to get teachers vaccinated quickly, Fauci said.

And they should also focus on getting schools to have what they need to reopen, including masks and adequate ventilation, among other measures.

Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CBS that when it comes to reopening schools, "the prerequisite is to implement mitigation measures in schools."

He noted that when people wore masks and were socially distant, there was "very little transmission within the classroom."

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And while it would be nice to prioritize teachers when it comes to vaccinations, she said, “I don't think that's necessarily a prerequisite.

I think schools have shown that they can open safely if they take precautions in the classroom.

His recommendation comes amid an ongoing struggle in many parts of the country over how to safely resume classes.

Announcements about interim agreements paving the way back to face-to-face classes came out of San Francisco and Chicago on Sunday, where officials have disagreed with school employees about the best approach to a return to school.

CNN's Jamie Gumbrecht, Amanda Sealy, Sharif Paget, and Naomi Thomas contributed to this report.

covid-19

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2021-02-08

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