The COVID-19 pandemic situation in the United States has slowly started to show signs of improvement as cases continue to drop following the surge earlier this year, but experts warn of a potential wave that could break out in New York and other states.
The previous outbreak was caused primarily by the highly transmissible Omicron variant that dominated the majority of infections in the winter months. But just last week, the number of new cases decreased by more than 16% and hospitalizations dropped by more than 27% based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
COVID-19 in the U.S.
However, health experts have shared their opinions that the current downtrend of the coronavirus pandemic will not last. Many are warning of a potential wave that could hit the U.S. soon amid the spread of the new BA.2 subvariant. It is more commonly referred to as a "stealth" version of the Omicron variant.
The warnings come as nearly half of all countries in Europe have observed increases in the number of COVID-19 infections in their regions. In the last two weeks, the UK has reported a 60% increase in new cases, France has recorded 88% more, and Italy has seen a rise of 67%, as per BestLifeOnline.
Previously, local, state and federal governments have ordered the easing of coronavirus-related restrictions due to the dwindling number of cases. Authorities have urged their residents to return to their pre-pandemic routines with the removal of mask and vaccine mandates and are keeping offices, restaurants, and theaters open.
But the ways that officials can protect their citizens from the virus continue to be hampered with new pills that can treat infections are being stalled in the buying process. Additionally, an aid package that provides funds for various programs related to the pandemic has been stalled in Congress.
Vaccination Rates
According to the New York Times, despite many Americans being unwilling to get vaccinated against the coronavirus infection, experts said that health officials could still be doing more to help their people. They argued that authorities can have door-to-door delivery of booster shots to older people who are willing to take them but are unable to travel regularly.
Furthermore, the coronavirus vaccination rate in the United States has fallen to the lowest level it has been since the early stages of the 2020 campaign. Authorities said that the seven-day average in the nation, which includes vaccine doses of all types, fell to only 127,000 per day this week.
The numbers show an alarming decline, most especially since in January, authorities recorded more than one million shots per day. Though the number of Americans who received two doses rose to 75% of adults, the number of administered booster shots continues to lag behind.
The situation comes as booster shots are seen as particularly important due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant and BA.2 subvariant. The two strains are believed to have a greater ability to evade the protection provided by only two doses of the coronavirus vaccines, The Hill reported.
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