About half of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of vaccine, while a quarter of the population has been completely inoculated. While that is an impressive number, it is not enough to get the herd immunity and suppress the virus.
But Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said the country remains in a “complicated stage.”
“There is also an increase in cases among younger people who have not yet been vaccinated,” he said yesterday at a White House briefing.
Experts say there are several reasons behind the increase in Covid-19 counts, including coronavirus variants, such as the more contagious strain B.1.1.7, which has helped fuel another increase in Michigan. Pandemic fatigue and the presence of more Americans have also contributed to the increase.
The worrying wave of cases is not unique to the US. The World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday that the overall number of new infections has increased for eight weeks. More than 5.2 million cases were recorded last week, the highest weekly figure to date. The death toll has also risen for the fifth week in a row, topping 3 million over the weekend.
YOU ASKED. WE ANSWERED.
P. Should I disinfect surfaces to avoid Covid-19?
Vincent Hill, head of CDC’s water-borne disease prevention branch, said the risk of transmission from touching a surface, albeit small, is high inside. Outdoors, the sun and other factors can destroy viruses, Hill said in a conference call. The virus dies “quickly” on porous surfaces, but can persist longer on hard, inner surfaces.
Research also suggested that surface transmission was more likely in the first 24 hours after a person became infected and that households where a person had Covid-19 had lower transmission rates when surfaces were cleaned and disinfected.
So while keeping surfaces clean is not a waste of time, it is not the only way or even the most important way to reduce risks, the CDC said. The agency has updated its guidelines for surface disinfection in community environments and Hill added that cleaning should focus on high-contact areas, such as door knobs and light switches.
WHAT’S IMPORTANT TODAY
India will offer Covid-19 vaccines to all adults in May
It is unclear whether the world’s second most populous country, with nearly 1.4 billion people, has enough vaccines to meet this expanded demand. Currently, only health workers, front-line workers or people aged 45 and over are eligible to be vaccinated in India and vaccine supplies have already dried up in some places, with at least five states they report a severe shortage.
The German chancellor must overcome the pandemic to save her legacy. Time is running out
Why do so many of Colombia’s migrant community want to skip the vaccine?
Most of the 2 million Venezuelans living in Colombia arrived in recent years after fleeing their country’s economic crisis. They are not fully integrated into Colombian society, which can make it difficult to monitor and contact them for programs such as vaccine deployment.
ON OUR RADAR
- Johnson & Johnson said blood clots have been reported with all vaccines against Covid-19, but the author of the study they cited says they are wrong.
- The Biden administration will allocate $ 150 million from the American Rescue Plan to boost Covid’s response in vulnerable and neglected areas.
- Greece has raised quarantine requirements for vaccinated travelers and those that have been negative for Covid-19 from Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.
- A two-way travel bubble opened between Australia and New Zealand on Monday. But Australia says it is in no hurry to unlock borders with other visitors.
- Seven otters in the Georgia Aquarium have tested positive for coronavirus after showing “mild respiratory symptoms including sneezing, runny nose, mild lethargy and coughing.” Despite being geriatric, they are improving and are expected to fully recover, the aquarium said.
THE MOST TIP TODAY
As more people get vaccinated against Covid-19, you may be wondering if re-listening to live music in person is safe.
TODAY’S PODCAST
“At all levels, this is unprecedented. The 1,170-dose container, the dry ice, the ultra-cold storage, the mixture with the thinner, the three different vaccine regimens with different days.” – Claire Hannan, Association of Immunization Managers