Covid-19 hits terrifying new high

Now is not the time to let our guard down.

Over the weekend, many took a collective sigh of relief when it became apparent that Joe Biden would become the 46th President of the United States. During his victory speech on Sunday, Biden assured people he would immediately create a intervention force experts to guide its administration’s response to the pandemic; the same day, his transition team confirmed that the United States would join the World Health Organization. A day later, the pharmaceutical company Pfizer ad that its investigational vaccine appeared to be very effective at preventing covid-19 in early data from its ongoing clinical trial – the surest sign to date that a successful vaccine is in our future.

As encouraging as these developments are, the sad news is that it is too late to save us from the harsh winter that covid-19 will bring. The pandemic has turned into a wildfire raging across the globe and particularly in the United States, and any solutions that could bring it under control are out of reach in the short term. There are still steps we can personally take to reduce our risk of contracting or spreading the virus, but make no mistake: things are really bad now and they are likely to get worse before they get better.

On Monday, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum ad that state hospitals have become 100% full, in part because of the increase in hospitalizations due to the pandemic. Elsewhere, hospitals in Iowa, Idaho, and Kansas face similar pressures on their resources. Today, it will likely set a new US record for current covid-19 hospitalizations, as they exceed 60,000. These patients are a lagging indicator of what has been an accelerated increase in reported daily cases, with new records settled several times in the past two weeks. All the while, reported deaths have risen by more than 1,000 a day, with the official U.S. toll now standing at around 240,000.

During the spring and summer peaks of the pandemic in the United States, large outbreaks were at least limited to parts of the country (the northeast in the spring and the south in the summer). the summer weather in many places, while this is not enough to stop the pandemic, it may also have hampered its spread, both making it harder for the virus to survive and allowing people to spend more time outdoors , where the risk of transmission is much lower. But cases are increasing almost everywhere now, including before hard hit places like New York, and the cold winter weather is likely to prove much more favorable for the coronavirus, as it does for many respiratory infections.

Like Anthony Fauci, the head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to put he himself last week: “We are going to suffer a lot.”

All of this is bad enough, but icing on the cake, the outgoing administration has even abandoned the pretense of trying to control the pandemic. Instead, Trump and the GOP are – albeit ineptly – spending their free time trying to overturn last week’s legitimate election results. frivolous lawsuits, while refusing to give in all might. Whether these attempts succeed or not, it is an indication that states and citizens have been left to fend for themselves.

Tthe rump is not the only one that allows the pandemic. Last weekend, at worries many public health experts, crowds of people gathered to celebrate Biden’s victory. People are find ways to justify spending Thanksgiving with their grandparents and extended family members. And the restaurants are herd of people in outdoor spaces but still closed. None of these activities might be as bad as spending a night of karaoke with 100 of your closest friends at a bar, but it’s definitely not the safest thing to do in the middle of a night out. uncontrolled pandemic. At the same time, it’s understandable. People are tired and lack vigilance in containing the virus.

This doesn’t mean that there is no hope on the horizon. Pfizer’s experimental vaccine, if it proved to be as effective as it sounds, would be a tremendous scientific achievement, as well as a very encouraging sign for other vaccines in development. But for now, the company’s claims amount to nothing more than a well-drafted press release. Russian vaccine Sputnik-V, now also claimed being over 90% effective has even less legitimacy behind it, given the government’s willingness to approve its use without public data earlier this summer.

Ideally, a vaccine could be approved in case of emergency by the end of December. But there are still great concerns about the number of people who may have access to such a vaccine by then and how many people would be ready to take it if they did. To his credit, President-elect Biden was clear on this in his statement regarding Pfizer’s results, stating that “the battle against covid-19 is still months away” and that Americans should adhere to measures such as wearing a mask. and physical distance well into the next year.

It is not just a question of America’s mismanagement of the pandemic. Much of Europe is facing own second wave, and worldwide reported daily deaths are reach levels surpassing the deadliest days seen earlier this year (in total, nearly 1.3 million people worldwide have died so far). The virus has crossed much of the world and only a few countries have been able to keep it at bay during this time.

I know this is all very reprehensible, and I wish it were not. But all natural disasters eventually end, covid-19 being no exception, and trying to weather the storm as best we can until then is still valuable. The fewer people infected with the coronavirus because people wear masks and avoid risky social situations, the fewer people will end up in hospital and end up dying this winter. Every second, minute and day of vigilance helps, especially since a vaccine is in sight.

But it’s also important to know the reality of the situation right now. There will be a lot more pain and death before this pandemic ends with us. And as is often the case, it is the most vulnerable who will pay the highest price.