The CDC is alerting that the recent enhancement in COVID-19 case numbers may be stalling. Variations of the virus may be starting to spread out extensively in this country, which could reverse recent progress.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
There is a new signal this week that development in combating the pandemic might be stalling.
ROB STEIN, BYLINE: Hey there, Ari.
SHAPIRO: We’ve been hearing excellent news for weeks that the number of people getting contaminated and hospitalized has been falling.
STEIN: Yes, that’s. You understand, after a horrific winter season rise and losing more than 500,000 resides in the United States, things finally appeared like they turned around. All the numbers are toppling, however everybody’s been holding their breath to see what takes place next. And now the very first hints that everything isn’t always going to continue to improve have actually emerged. Here’s what CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said during an instruction today.
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ROCHELLE WALENSKY: The latest data suggests that these decreases might be stalling, possibly leveling off at still a very high number. We at CDC consider this a really worrying shift in the trajectory.
STEIN: In reality, over the last 3 days, the number of people capturing the virus appears like it may actually have actually begun to go in the opposite direction, starting to tick back up again. Even the variety of people passing away every day appears to have actually sneaked greater.
SHAPIRO: And do scientists understand why that might be taking place?
STEIN: Well, you understand, some public health experts are hoping it’s simply a blip, that possibly – you understand, maybe it’s simply a lag in reporting triggered by last week’s awful winter storms. However Walensky and others worry that it may be what everyone’s been afraid may occur. The coronavirus variants, specifically the really infectious variant from the U.K. – Walensky states it’s increased from about 1 to 4%of cases to now about 10%of cases nationally and might even be more typical in some locations like Florida and California. Here’s more from Dr. Walensky.
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WALENSKY: CDC has actually been sounding the alarm about the continued spread of versions in the United States. We may now be seeing the beginning impacts of these versions in the most recent data.
SHAPIRO: And this is taking place as millions of individuals are getting vaccinated and the U.S. is, we hope, inching its method towards herd immunity.
STEIN: Yeah.
SHAPIRO: Are you saying we might see a surge before that happens?
STEIN: Yeah, well, that’s the concern – you know, that the country might be seeing the first tips of yet another brand-new rise. Even if the pandemic simply plateaus, that’s still actually bad news. You know, more than 70,000 people are still getting contaminated every day. More than 52,000 are still hospitalized. More than 3,000 are still passing away every day. Lots of people would continue to get seriously ill and pass away.
SHAPIRO: So what is the CDC proposing to avert that scenario?
STEIN: Yeah. You know, she understands everybody is truly fed up, however she’s really stressed that some places are starting to loosen restrictions way too soon – open up dining establishments, lift mask mandates.
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WALENSKY: Things are rare. Now is not the time to unwind constraints. We might be finished with the virus, however clearly, the infection is not done with us.
STEIN: So Dr. Walensky is just telling everybody to keep using those masks, stay away from other individuals, don’t relax restrictions, provide the nation adequate time to get more people vaccinated. You know, completion could be in sight since of the vaccines, however the virus could take off before adequate people get vaccinated. Or brand-new, even more hazardous variations could develop if the infection continues to spread out so rapidly.
SHAPIRO: NPR health reporter Rob Stein, thank you.
STEIN: You bet, Ari.
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