By Heidi Przybyla and Rebecca Shabad -
NBC News
The White House unveiled this Wednesday its new strategy for the next phase of the pandemic, with measures to live with the coronavirus and minimize the risks of a disease that will not disappear but rather become endemic like the flu.
In his State of the Union address to Congress Tuesday night, President Joe Biden outlined a “test and treat” approach, which seeks to streamline
medical care, with drugs like Paxlovid
allowing pharmacists write prescriptions on the spot for people who test positive.
Another goal is to strengthen surveillance of data collection by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a White House official said.
The possibility of creating a more permanent role to manage long-term pandemic preparedness has also been discussed, according to two people familiar with the plan.
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Biden's new plan will include a significant amount of money to deal with long-term cases of COVID-19, as well as the mourning of children who have lost their parents to the virus and vice versa.
The strategy also seeks collaboration with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and other agencies to establish better ventilation requirements in all buildings, including offices and schools, with a view to a safe return to work.
[New York City will remove vaccination mandate for businesses and events]
The United States is entering a new phase of the pandemic and many citizens want to return to normal life.
However, with a 63% vaccination rate, health experts say that COVID-19 is here to stay.
The White House's new approach thus takes into account expert advice on what the "new normal" should be.
Biden on Tuesday expanded reimbursement of 100% of the cost of the COVID-19 emergency response to states, tribes and territories, a sign that his Administration sees a continued need for federal resources, even as infection numbers rise. decline across the country.
Many states have used the funds to increase testing capacity.
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"It's not rocket science to figure out what you need," said Dr. Steven Phillips, vice president of the Covid Collaborative, a coalition of health, education and economic experts.
In an interview, Phillips outlined how the country can and would return to pre-pandemic life, with widespread access to rapid testing and protecting the most vulnerable.
“Omicron is going to be with us for a long time.
It's endemic,” he said.
Among the experts consulted by the White House is Peter Hotez, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital, who said that "there must be a communication plan not for if, but for when the numbers start to add up." rise".
“We have had big waves in the south, and this summer I expect another wave,” he added, “and if not, we should expect another wave in winter.
I don't think we're done with this, so what's the forward guidance to let the American people know not to be surprised if we have to go back into the red?"
The federal government may also create more safeguards for rapid test makers, said Lindsey Dawson, a director of the Kaiser Family Foundation.
During the winter break and with the rise of the omicron variant, the United States found itself without an adequate supply of tests.
Reassuring manufacturers that the government will continue to buy tests in bulk is an important step.
The government recently asked manufacturers for advice on what it can do to encourage them to rapidly increase supply when needed, Dawson said.
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Once the supply issue is resolved, much of the federal government's role will fall to the CDC to publish a new manual for living with coronavirus, including how and when to use home test kits and helping pave the way for delivery. of therapeutics to the most vulnerable populations, Phillips said.
“We have to be much more specific about the actual protocols, the actual indications for using these rapid tests in ways that are valuable to public health.
And I think, frankly, we have a way to go, and I hope that the CDC and other scientific bodies will provide some guidance to Americans," Dawson said.