Coronavirus infections are rising, warn top Biden health officials

Since its peak in February, covid-19 has pretty much taken a back seat to many people’s minds. The war in Ukraine, high inflation and general economic turmoil have dominated the news over the past three months. It is completely normal for covid-19 to make another resurgence among other problems.
Since the beginning of April, the number of new cases of covid-19 has been on the rise. More than 32% of Americans now live in counties with medium to high transmission of the virus, up from about 24% the previous week. The hardest hit states at this point are on the East Coast, particularly New York so far New York Mayor Adams has refused to reintroduce measures to combat the spread.
But far from the speed of the increase in cases observed during the winter of 2021it has health experts concerned with the health of Americans.
CDC chief Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a tweet“Communities should encourage the use of prevention strategiesincluding masking and improving access to testing and treatment, based on community levels.
“The attitude is, ‘We’ve got this, we’re done. ‘” said Dr. Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research in San Diego. “People should prepare, they should get booster shots. But there is no awareness.”
“As uncomfortable and unsatisfying as it may seem, we just don’t know what this virus is going to throw at us in the next 90 dayssaid Michael T. Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
Cases and hospitalizations are rising, CDC data shows, though deaths have yet to catch up.
How many people are vaccinated?
Since May 20, 66% of people in the United States are vaccinated, about 220 million people. However, that number has only increased slightly since January. Authorities fear the time between doses means the vaccine’s powers will have worn off.
Children over 5 are now recommended booster shots. Children ages 5 to 17 are the group with the lowest vaccination rates, and the CDC hopes they can increase it in the coming weeks.
A total of 102 million booster shots have been issued in the United States. Although this is a large number, it represents only 46.4% of the country. The White House will have to organize its messaging if it wants to increase this number.