About half of all American adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while a quarter of the population has been fully vaccinated. While that’s an impressive number, it’s not enough to achieve herd immunity and suppress the virus.
But Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said the country is still in a “complicated phase.”
“The number of cases among younger people who have not yet been vaccinated is also on the rise,” she told a White House briefing yesterday.
Experts say there are several reasons for the rise in Covid-19 numbers, including coronavirus variants – such as the more contagious B.1.1.7 strain that has contributed to a new wave in Michigan. Pandemic fatigue and more moving Americans also likely contributed to the rise.
The worrying increase in the number of cases is not unique to the US. The World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday that the global number of new infections has been on the rise for eight weeks. More than 5.2 million cases were reported last week – the highest weekly figure to date. The death toll has also risen for the fifth week in a row, to more than 3 million over the weekend.
YOU ASKED. WE ANSWER.
Q. Do I have to disinfect surfaces to prevent Covid-19?
Vincent Hill, chief of the CDC’s Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch, said the risk of transmission from touching a surface, while small, is increased indoors. Outside, the sun and other factors can destroy viruses, Hill said in a telephone briefing. The virus dies “quickly” on porous surfaces, but can last longer on hard surfaces indoors.
Research also suggested that surface transmission was more likely in the first 24 hours after a person was infected, and that households where one person had Covid-19 had slower transmission rates when surfaces were cleaned and disinfected.
So while keeping surfaces clean isn’t a waste of time, it’s not the only way or even the most important way to mitigate risk, the CDC said. The agency updated its guidelines for surface disinfection in community settings, and Hill added that cleaning should target high-contact areas, such as doorknobs and light switches.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT TODAY
India will offer all adults Covid-19 vaccines in May
It’s unclear whether the world’s second-most populous country, with nearly 1.4 billion people, has enough vaccines to meet this increased demand. Currently, only health workers, frontline workers or people 45 and older are eligible for vaccination in India, and vaccine stocks have already dried up in some places, with at least five states reporting serious shortages.
The German Chancellor must defeat the pandemic to save her legacy. Time is running out
Why many in Colombia’s migrant community want to skip the vaccine
Most of the 2 million Venezuelans living in Colombia arrived in recent years after fleeing the economic crisis in their home country. They are not fully integrated into Colombian society, which can make it difficult to keep up with and engage with them for programs such as vaccine rollouts.
ON OUR RADAR
- Johnson & Johnson said blood clots have been reported with all Covid-19 vaccines, but the study author who named them says they are wrong.
- The Biden administration will allocate $ 150 million from the US bailout to boost Covid’s response in deprived and vulnerable areas.
- Greece has lifted quarantine requirements for vaccinated travelers and travelers who test negative for Covid-19 from Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.
- Monday a travel bubble opened between Australia and New Zealand. But Australia says it is “in no hurry” to unlock borders for other visitors.
- Seven otters at Georgia Aquarium tested positive for coronavirus after showing “mild respiratory symptoms, including sneezing, runny noses, mild lethargy, and cough.” Despite being geriatric, they improve and are expected to make a full recovery, the aquarium said.
TODAY’S TOP TIP
As more people get Covid-19 vaccines, you may be wondering if it’s safe to listen to live music in person again.
TODAY’S PODCAST
“This is unprecedented at every level. The packaging of 1,170 doses, the dry ice, the ultra-cold storage, the mixing with the diluent, the three different vaccine regimens with different days apart.” – Claire Hannan, Immunization Managers Association