Things are looking up in the U.S. when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a Reuters analysis report that reviewed CDC, state, and nation-wide data, America is seeing a 22% decrease in COVID-19 deaths, at this time.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of early this week, approximately 21% of the country’s population has gotten a minimum of one COVID-19 vaccine does. This signifies an increase of three percent from the following week. Plus, about 11% of the U.S. population has received both doses of the COVID-19 shot, which is up by two percent, as well.
Still, the good news doesn’t stop there. The number of new coronavirus cases reported weekly across the United States has also decreased, for the ninth consecutive week in a row. New COVID-19 cases have dropped by ten percent, at below 378,000. COVID-19 related deaths have also decreased under 10,000 as of the week prior, the lowest number seen in the U.S. since November of last year.
Lastly, the number of coronavirus patients admitted to hospitals in the United States has also seen a decrease. The number hit 38,000 this past week, which is a reduction of 13%, and also the lowest number linked to U.S. hospitals since late October of last year.
With that said, U.S. health officials warn that while this is great progress, Americans should still keep their “guard up” when it comes to COVID-19. A fine example is the increase of coronavirus infections across multiple countries in Europe after restrictions and guidelines were relaxed.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky recently noted that if Americans stop taking COVID-19 precautions, cases could increase as they did in the spring and summer of last year. Walensky stated that Europe’s resurgence in infections should be a warning for all in the U.S.
With that said, many are celebrating spring break across the country right now, and warmer weather does have people heading for the beach. Air travel last week reached its highest peak since the COVID-19 pandemic first started.
In addition, 19 out of 50 states across the U.S. reported increased new coronavirus infections last week. As per the Reuters analysis report, this is a jump from 13 states, when compared to the past seven days. Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey are the ones reporting the most increased rate of new COVID-19 cases, per 100,000 individuals.
In other news, vaccine manufacturer Moderna announced recently that they are launching a COVID-19 vaccine trial for kids aged 12 and under. The trial for youth between the ages of 12 and 17 started in December of last year. Pfizer recently stated that they have finished enrolling participants for their trial of youth aged 12 to 15.
It’s being reported that if all goes well with these trials, COVID-19 vaccines should be licensed for children 12 years and older before the 2021/2022 school year. They might be available as early as this summer.
