Coronavirus in US: Race between variants and vaccines in US will be close call, experts warn, and easing restrictions won’t help

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“It will be a close call,” Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University School of Public Health, told CNN Tuesday. “We are vaccinating very well, that’s the good news. These variants are spreading pretty quickly across the country, that’s the bad news.”

“For me, I think the vaccine should win out,” Jha added. “Here’s the big but: What Texas, Mississippi, other states are doing to relax and get rid of the mask orders and pretend it’s all back to normal, it definitely falls on the variant side.”

The governors of Texas and Mississippi are among at least a dozen heads of state who relaxed restrictions this month – many attributing improved Covid-19 numbers and increased vaccinations.

But in 15 states, new Covid-19 cases reported in the week ending Tuesday were at least 10% higher than a week ago, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. In two of those states – Minnesota and Michigan – cases were more than 40% higher than a week earlier, the data showed.

New cases are still on the decline in the United States as a whole, and experts say generally more sustained data – of at least a few weeks – is needed to identify a trend. But with multiple worrying variants circulating in the country, detecting early warning signs may be the key to limiting the continued spread.

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A medical worker pulls the Covid-19 vaccine from its bottle during a public vaccination at the Washington National Cathedral on March 16, 2021 in Washington, DC

US creates ‘perfect storm’ scenario for spread of variants

There are currently several variations that worry experts.

They include two strains of coronavirus first detected in California that are now officially “variants of concern,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The variants may be about 20% more transmissible, the agency said citing early research, and some treatments may also be less effective against the strains. The CDC did not say the vaccines would stop working against them.

But there is one that is “in the foreground,” said Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.

It’s the B.1.1.7 variant, which was first detected in the UK and is now expected to become the dominant variant in the US within just a few weeks, according to the CDC.

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“Our current models … predict that by the end of March, beginning of April, B.1.1.7 will be the dominant variant,” CDC director Dr Rochelle Walensky said on Monday.

There have been at least 4,690 cases of the variant reported in the United States – and that probably doesn’t represent the total number of cases across the country, but rather those that were found by scientists testing positive samples. The variant has been detected in at least 48 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, DC.

“I think the next few weeks will be spent on B.1.1.7 and the race we have between the vaccine and the variant,” Osterholm said. “Letting go as we are right now … we’re creating a perfect storm scenario for this virus to spread.”

Different approaches to St. Patrick’s Day

At a time when health officials believe it is critical to determine how the pandemic continues to unfold, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations will also be different in parts of the country.

Some Irish pubs in New Orleans have announced they will not open for the celebrations, citing concerns over the spread of Covid-19 and restrictions on business.

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Finn McCool’s Irish pub, located in the Mid-City district, wrote on Facebook Monday that the crowds “wouldn’t allow us to stay within state and city rules.”

“As much as we would love to be open and see each other’s faces, but that would endanger not only our staff, but the community as well,” the post said.

New Orleans officials had eased restrictions further last week, allowing retail stores, restaurants, salons and other businesses to increase capacity to 75 percent. Bars, breweries, gymnasiums and other venues can now operate at 50% capacity.

Meanwhile, in Georgia, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said on Tuesday the city was open, while urging continued Covid-19 mitigation efforts.

“It’s important to note that Savannah is wide open. We have been wide open. And the way we stay open is to require the use of masks,” the mayor said, noting how much the celebrations of the Holy -Patrick are important to the local economy. .

Despite the pandemic and a mask warrant issued by the city, thousands of residents and tourists, some without a mask and many not socially distant, took to the city’s streets and businesses over the weekend.

All states have vaccinated at least 10% of adults

The party in Savannah and the spring break crowds in Florida are examples of a thirst for a return to normalcy – but experts say now is not the time to ditch safety precautions. A safer future will only be a few months away, as more of the country is vaccinated.
More than 72 million Americans have so far received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to CDC data. More than 39 million people are fully vaccinated – about 11.8% of the US population.
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Among the country’s population aged 65 and over, more than a third are fully vaccinated and almost two-thirds have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Additionally, all states have fully immunized at least 10% of their adult populations.

To increase the number of vaccines more quickly, many state leaders recently announced expanded eligibility guidelines, adding millions of Americans to the list of people who can get vaccinated. President Joe Biden has said he wants all American adults to be eligible for a vaccine by May 1 – and some states have said they plan to get there sooner.
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But as vaccinations have accelerated, challenges – including vaccine reluctance and misinformation – remain.

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And the church can play a leading role in increasing confidence in the Covid-19 vaccine, National Institutes of Health director Dr Francis Collins said on Tuesday.

“Many of those who could benefit the most, because they are at the greatest risk of serious and even fatal infections, are still holding back,” said Collins, speaking at the Washington National Cathedral, where religious leaders meet. come together to build confidence in vaccines.

“Today you are all putting hope into action,” he said. “Hope to end the terrible suffering and loss of life caused by Covid-19, hope for an end to the economic devastation it has caused, hope that the vaccine can not only protect you, but also – if we do it together – – your family, your friends, your community, your nation, your whole world. ”

CNN’s Deidre McPhillips, Jamiel Lynch, Gregory Lemos, Gisela Crespo and Michael Nedelman contributed to this report.

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