US Coronavirus: Experts say it’s a close race between coronavirus variants and vaccines in the US as air travel hits records and spring break crowds increase

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It’s a race “neck and neck” between the two, says one expert.

“This is the critical moment,” Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN on Saturday. “This will be our toughest time right now to see who wins.”

With less than a quarter of all Americans having received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine – and only around 13% fully vaccinated – doubling safety measures now is what could help curb another outbreak, have repeatedly stressed the experts.
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“If we can stick to another month, another six weeks, that’s going to make a huge difference,” Hotez added.

Instead, air travel is hitting pandemic-era records, with the TSA tracking more than 1.4 million people at airports on Friday – the biggest day for air travel in more than a year.
Spring break crowds are swelling, with Miami Beach officials declaring a state of emergency on Saturday in response to crowds which the mayor said were “more than we can handle.”
And at least a dozen governors – and several local leaders – eased restrictions this month, while several removed masked mandates altogether.
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Michigan cases and hospitalizations soar

In Michigan, where the governor announced a series of relaxed restrictions earlier this month, officials now say the state could potentially be at the start of another wave.
“Our progress with Covid-19 is fragile,” Michigan state medical director Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said at a press conference on Friday. “As we make great strides in our vaccination efforts and many people are doing the right thing by wearing masks and not getting together in large groups, what we are seeing now is some very concerning data that shows that we are going in the wrong direction. “
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Case rates have increased over the past month, Khaldun said, and have risen 77% since mid-February.

The state’s percentage of positive Covid-19 tests has also jumped 177% since mid-February, Khaldun said. And hospitalization rates have also increased in the past two weeks, Khaldun added.

Michigan also reported the second highest number of B.1.1.7 variant cases in the country, after Florida, according to CDC data.

“This is extremely concerning,” Dr Rob Davidson, a state emergency doctor, told CNN on Saturday. “We know that in the past cases have increased, then hospitalizations, then deaths followed.”

Davidson told CNN he is even more worried now that variants are circulating and that he hopes the state can make enough progress to protect residents.

“That remains to be seen,” Davidson said. “We would just prefer not to wait to find out. We would rather have people mask themselves, distance themselves and reduce those numbers.”

Track Covid-19 case numbers in the United States

“ A growing threat in our country ”

There are several dangerous variations that are of concern to experts.
A more contagious variant of the coronavirus is spreading in the United States. Can vaccines stop it?
But in the foreground is the B.1.1.7 variant, which was first spotted in the UK and quickly spread to the US.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that it will become the dominant variant of the virus in the United States by the end of this month or early April.

The B.1.1.7 variant “currently accounts for probably 20-30% of infections in this country and that number is on the rise,” Dr Anthony Fauci said in a White House briefing on Friday.

It’s more contagious and could cause more serious illness, Fauci added. Recent research also suggests that the variant may also be associated with a higher risk of dying from Covid-19.

The good news: Vaccines seem to protect against the variant well, Fauci said, and treatments like monoclonal antibodies also appear to work against it.

“The way we can counter 1.1.7, which is a growing threat in our country, is to do two things: get as many people vaccinated as quickly and as quickly as possible with a vaccine that we know works against this. And finally, to implement the public health measures that we talk about all the time, ”Fauci said.

“Hide, physically distance and avoid collective environments, especially indoors,” he added.

More than 43 million Americans fully immunized

So far, more than 79 million Americans have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to CDC data, and more than 43 million are fully vaccinated.
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The growing numbers are encouraging, but experts say the country still has a long way to go to meet the levels needed to suppress the spread of the virus – and needs to address vaccine reluctance as well as the political divisions that have emerged. ‘oppose.

In Missouri, Gov. Mike Parson said on Friday that if he encouraged everyone to get vaccinated and thought it was the right thing to do, he knew there will be “a certain number of people” who will not take the vaccine, “and they have the right to do so.”

“We need to do a better job of making sure everyone understands the importance of the vaccine, while still preserving respect for people who don’t want to be vaccinated, and it will be a challenge to see how many people can get us.” , but we will do whatever we can, ”the governor said.

A recent CNN poll conducted by the SSRS showed that if 92% of Democrats say they have received a dose of the vaccine or plan to get one, that drops to 50% among Republicans. In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp said earlier this month that officials across the state were working with local organizations, such as local churches and civic clubs, to tackle vaccine reluctance – y included among white Republicans.

To get more gunfire faster, many state leaders have also extended the eligibility criteria, with some already setting a date by which all requirements will be lifted.
Here’s what states have said so far about eligibility for the Covid-19 vaccine

CNN’s Pete Muntean, Carma Hassan, Mirna Alsharif and Alec Snyder contributed to this report.

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