Officials anticipate COVID-19 vaccine while warning of difficult months ahead

Officials in President TrumpDonald John Trump Trump Launches Doug Collins V Kemp Race For Georgia Governor Defiant Trump Insists Elections Have Been ‘Rigged’ At Rally For Georgia Senate Republicans Trump Sends Condolences To The family, friends of deceased Loeffler campaign staff MOREThe administration expects the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to be available this month, but at the same time, they warn that the United States is set to endure a difficult winter.

Trump administration officials and advisers pleaded with the public on Sunday morning political broadcasts to follow the coronavirus measures, saying failure to adhere to recommendations, such as wearing masks and social distancing, resulted in skyrocketing cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar said “Fox News Sunday” that COVID-19-related spikes are related to “behavior” as Americans “go inside”, “don’t wear their face masks” and “engage in behaviors indoors” that allow the virus to spread .

“We need people to renew their commitment,” Azar said.

HHS secretary countered Fox News Chris WallaceChristopher (Chris) WallaceBiden, adviser: ‘He doesn’t care’ about lawsuits against Trump Public health expert: Americans no longer acting ‘with a common goal’ on pandemic Anti-Defamation League criticizes the White House appointee “ who consorted with racists ” MOREWhether Trump’s rhetoric on masks throughout the pandemic has made matters worse, showing a clip of the president who rarely wore a mask calling the practice “voluntary.”

“The president called the masks acts of patriotism, each of his advisers wears masks,” Azar replied. “Our advice is the same regardless of the setting.”

Azar also told ABC News “This Week” that the administration was “very concerned” about the spread of the coronavirus and the impending spike in cases, hospitalizations and deaths caused by Thanksgiving gatherings and the upcoming holidays.

“We are worried about the people and the behavior ahead at Christmas,” he said. “We want to make sure everyone’s loved ones are there next Christmas.”

Deborah BirxDeborah BirxSunday Shows Sneak Peek: Congress Approaches Stimulus Package Amid COVID-19 Outbreak Atlas Departure From White House Applauded By Public Health Officials Scott Atlas Resigns As Trump coronavirus advisor PLUS, the coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, called it “frustrating” on NBC News ‘Meet the Press’ to hear from the public “parrot” false information about COVID-19, including that masks do not work.

“I hear members of the community come back to these situations, repeat that masks don’t work, repeat that we should work on herd immunity, repeat that gatherings do not result in super-propagating events”, she declared.

“And I think our job is to constantly say that these are myths,” she added. “They are wrong and you can see the evidence base.”

The comments from health officials come as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in one day peaked at nearly 228,000 new cases Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The United States passed the milestone last week with more than 100,000 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19. Early Sunday afternoon, 101,190 patients were hospitalized, 19,950 in intensive care units and 7,005 on ventilators, according to The COVID monitoring project.

The country has also recorded more than 2,000 COVID-19-related deaths per day since last Tuesday. These increases also do not take into account the likely spikes caused by Thanksgiving gatherings across the country.

Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Robert Redfield warned this week that winter could bring “the most difficult period in the history of public health in this country”.

But officials expressed some optimism about the vaccine on Sunday, with Operation Warp Speed ​​chief advisor Moncef Slaoui predicting CBS ‘Face The Nation’ that life could return to normal in April and May, as the vaccine becomes widely available.

“I think we can start to see an impact on the most sensitive people probably during the months of January and February, but on a demographic basis, for our lives to start to get back to normal, we’re talking April or of May, ”he said.

Still, he said, “It is absolutely vital that everyone, A, takes comfort in the fact that we have light at the end of the tunnel and find the energy to continue wearing our masks, to take some distance, washing our hands, paying attention to what we do to make sure we are there in the spring for the vaccine.

Some Americans have expressed doubts about the process of developing and distributing the vaccine, despite health officials including Anthony FauciAnthony FauciOvernight Health Care: CDC urges use of ‘universal’ inner mask when not at home | Pelosi optimistic about relief from COVID-19 | Trump has largely been silent on coronavirus as health officials sound the alarm Fauci warns US has not reached ‘Thanksgiving peak’ even as cases soar 12:30 p.m. report The Hill – Brought to you by Capital One – Fauci to serve as Biden PLUS Chief Medical Advisor, repeatedly ensuring that vaccines likely to obtain emergency use authorization are effective and safe.

In his interview on CNN’s “State of the Union”, Slaoui addressed the skepticism of minority communities about the COVID-19 vaccine by saying, “No one is used as a guinea pig.” He called on minority populations, especially blacks and Latin Americans, to participate in clinical trials of the vaccine.

“This will be very important in helping us pass on the safety and effectiveness of these vaccines to the minority population,” he said.

Trump’s HHS secretary Azar dismissed president-elect Joe bidenJoe BidenTrump Launches Doug Collins Vs Kemp Run For Georgia Gov. Defiant Trump Insists Election Was ‘Rigged’ At Rally For Georgia Senate Republicans To Win Biden, Vaccine And a birthday: good karma for the Mediterranean? MOREThe statement last week that there is no plan for the vaccine distribution, calling it “nonsense” on “Fox News Sunday”.

Slaoui supported Azar on CNN’s “State of the Union”, saying there is a detailed plan, but his team have yet to have a chance to sit down with Biden’s transition team, which he says will happen “later this week.”