US Coronavirus: High levels of Covid infection right now could mean problems for

On Mar 23, 2021

“We must act now, and I am worried that if we don’t take the right actions now, we will have another avoidable surge — just as we are seeing in Europe right now and just as we are so aggressively scaling up vaccination,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Monday.

And high levels of infection now could also mean problems for vaccines later on, one expert told CNN on Monday.

“Not only does uncontrolled spread cause avoidable illness, hospitalization and death, but it increases the risk that an even more dangerous variant may emerge that could make the vaccine less effective,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, the former CDC director.

You asked, we answered: Your top questions about Covid-19 and vaccines

Travels and crowds tend to lead to surges

While vaccines are being rolled out, Frieden says Americans should continue taking precautions, like wearing face masks and limiting travel and indoor time with people not from their household.

Spring breakers flock to South Florida while some residents worry about another Covid-19 surge

“When people travel and mix, you can see a big surge of infections a couple of weeks later,” he added.

Despite health officials’ warnings — some Americans are doing both.

The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 1.5 million people at airports nationwide on Sunday — a new pandemic-era record that beats the one that was set just two days earlier.

Meanwhile, spring breakers are flocking to popular destinations like Florida, where Miami Beach officials declared a state of emergency and set a curfew in response to crowds the mayor said have been “more than we can handle.”

All that while governors and local leaders across the country are easing Covid-19 restrictions meant to curb the spread of the virus.

Track Covid-19 cases in the US

People enjoy themselves as they walk along Ocean Drive on March 18, 2021 in Miami Beach, Florida

Vaccines have already saved thousands of lives

Frieden says he believes the US will likely see another surge but this one will be “far less deadly” because of the vaccines that are being administered.

So far, more than 82.7 million Americans have gotten at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and more than 44.9 million have been fully vaccinated, according to CDC data.

“We estimate that vaccination has already saved at least 40,000 lives in the US,” Frieden said. “These are really good vaccines and the quicker we get them out the better.”

Krispy Kreme is making vaccinations extra sweet with a free doughnut a day for the rest of the year

Three Covid-19 vaccines have so far gotten the green light from the US Food and Drug Administration — Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, the only one of the three that requires a single shot.

And a fourth vaccine could soon be on the way. AstraZeneca is expected to apply in the next few weeks for emergency use authorization for its vaccine.

AstraZeneca’s vaccine showed 79% efficacy against symptomatic disease and 100% efficacy against severe disease and hospitalization in a new, US-based clinical trial, the company said Monday.

However, the independent board that reviews data from multiple Covid-19 vaccine candidates expressed concern over the findings, according to a statement posted early Tuesday by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The Data and Safety Monitoring Board “expressed concern that AstraZeneca may have included outdated information from that trial, which may have…

US Coronavirus: High levels of Covid infection right now could mean problems for

Travels and crowds tend to lead to surges

Vaccines have already saved thousands of lives

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