[ad_1]
WILMINGTON, Delaware (AP) – President-elect Joe Biden urged Americans on Monday to wear masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus, even as he applauded promising news about the development of an effective vaccine.
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced strong results from a vaccine trial and said it is on track to file an emergency use request with regulators later this month. But Biden has warned Americans against complacency, begging them to be aggressive by wearing masks and practicing social distancing as cases of the virus increase.
The nation surpassed the disappointing 10 million infections on Monday and there have been more than 237,000 deaths from COVID-19.
“We could save tens of thousands of lives if everyone wore one mask for the next few months. Not Democratic or Republican lives, American lives, ”Biden said. “Please, I beg you, wear a mask.
Biden’s remarks, delivered after a meeting with his new coronavirus advisory board, represent a shift from President Donald Trump’s relentless optimistic approach to the pandemic. They point to Biden’s emphasis on a viral response, which will likely dominate the early days of his administration when he takes the presidency in January.
A sign of the challenge Biden faces, the pandemic is rapidly escalating as his presidential transition begins.
In the past two weeks, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 has increased by almost 65%. The 7-day moving average of new daily cases in the United States fell from 66,294 on October 25 to 108,736.7 on Sunday. In the past week, one in 433 Americans has been diagnosed with COVID-19, and hospitals in several states are running low on space and staff.
Biden is moving forward with the creation of a coronavirus task force to develop his administration’s pandemic response. The group will be led by former surgeon general Dr Vivek Murthy, former Food and Drug Administration commissioner David Kessler and Yale University public health expert Dr Marcella Nunez-Smith .
Trump, who has yet to publicly acknowledge Biden’s victory, focused on the Pfizer announcement and the positive reaction from financial markets on Monday.
“THE SCHOLARSHIP MARKET IS GROWING, A VACCINE TO COME. 90% EFFICIENT REPORT. SUCH GREAT NEWS! He tweeted.
An interim review of the Pfizer vaccine, conducted by an independent data watchdog, looked at 94 infections recorded to date in a study that enrolled nearly 44,000 people in the United States and five other countries.
Pfizer says an initial review of the data suggests injections could be 90% effective in preventing COVID-19.
Trump throughout his campaign has said the nation – even as the infection rate hits record highs – is turning the corner on the coronavirus and a vaccine is imminent. Vice President Mike Pence was holding a meeting of the White House Coronavirus Task Force on Monday.
Pence tweeted that the progress reported by Pfizer was “HUGE NEWS” and suggested it was the result of a “” public-private partnership forged ”by Trump. In fact, Pfizer funded all of its own research. He has a contract to sell doses to the US government if a vaccine is approved, but has insisted on handling his own shipment.
The White House task force, which includes senior federal infectious disease specialist Dr Anthony Fauci, has been downsized in recent months as Trump grew impatient with efforts to slow the virus that were having an impact harmful to the economy.
The advisory board Biden announced on Monday includes doctors and scientists who have served in previous administrations, many of whom are experts in public health, vaccines and infectious diseases.
Among the members is Rick Bright, a vaccine expert and former head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. He had filed a whistleblower complaint alleging he was reassigned to a lesser job because he resisted political pressure to allow widespread use of hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug pushed by Trump as a COVID treatment -19.
Other members include Dr. Luciana Borio, who held senior positions in the FDA and the National Security Council under the Obama and Trump administrations; Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, who served as special adviser on health policy in the Obama administration; Dr Atul Gawande, Senior Advisor in the Clinton Administration Department of Health and Human Services and Medical Editor; and Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist who served as an advisor to Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson during the George W. Bush administration.
Public health officials warn the country is entering worst time yet for COVID-19 as winter approaches and the holiday season approaches, increasing risk of rapid transmission when Americans travel, do their races and celebrate with their loved ones.
“The next two months are going to be tough and difficult,” said Dr. Albert Ko, infectious disease specialist and department chair at the Yale School of Public Health. “We could see 100,000 more dead by January.”
Biden pledged during the campaign to make testing free and widely available; engage thousands of health workers to help implement contact tracing programs; and instruct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide, among other proposals, clear and informed guidance from experts.
The broader medical community is hopeful that a Biden presidency will help restore U.S. leadership on global public health challenges, including the development and distribution of a vaccine when it becomes available.
Dr Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist at the World Health Organization, said she was more optimistic that a Biden administration would join Covax, a WHO-led project to help roll out vaccines to people most most needy around the world, whether they live in rich or poor countries. countries.
“Everyone recognizes that for a pandemic, we cannot have a country-by-country approach. You need a holistic approach, ”Swaminathan said.
But in Kansas, one of the states that has seen a surge in virus cases in recent weeks, at least one hospital official remains skeptical of what a new president can do to turn the tide of the pandemic. in the USA.
“I think the damage is done,” said Kris Mathews, the administrator of Decatur Health, a small hospital in the rural northwestern part of the state. “People have decided how they react to it.”
__
Marcelo reported from Boston and Madhani from Chicago. Associated Press editors Carla K. Johnson in Washington State, Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas, Alexandra Jaffe, Lauran Neergaard and Thomas Strong in Washington, and Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this story.
[ad_2]
Source link