It has been a year since the United States declared a national emergency in response to the rapid spread of the new coronavirus on the 13th.
With the highest number of infected and dead people in the world, attention is being paid to whether accelerating vaccination can normalize society.
On March 13, last year, then President Trump declared a state of emergency following the rapid spread of the new coronavirus infection in the United States.
After that, the number of infected people increased rapidly, especially in New York City, and medical institutions were unable to provide sufficient medical care. At one point, it became known as the "center of the pandemic."
In the year since then, the total number of people infected with the new coronavirus in the United States has exceeded 29.3 million, and the death toll has reached more than 530,000, both of which are the highest in the world.
Since the beginning of March, the number of people infected with the new coronavirus per day has peaked at around 50,000 and has decreased since January, but the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Walensky, said, "The number of infected people continues. The number of people is at a high level, and we should not relax our vigilance. "
However, basic infection control measures have not been thoroughly implemented, as many states are moving to ease restrictions on economic activities and indoor meetings, and some states have lifted the mandatory wearing of masks.
President Biden has set a goal of expanding vaccination coverage early and paving the way for social normalization in July.
Dr. Fauci, chief medical adviser to the Biden administration, said that more than 70% of the population would need to be vaccinated to reach the so-called "herd immunity" state, and the goal is to accelerate vaccination. Attention is being paid to whether it can be realized.
More than 10% of the population is vaccinated but there is concern about the increase of mutant virus
The vaccine, which was expected to be a trump card to control the spread of the new coronavirus, has been developed and clinically tested at an unusual speed, and inoculation began in December last year in the United States.
By the 12th, more than 130 million doses of vaccine have been supplied to the United States, and about 35 million people, or 10.5% of the American population, have been vaccinated a fixed number of times.
Looking only at the elderly aged 65 and over who are at high risk of aggravation, the percentage of those who have completed vaccination has reached 32.4%.
However, the proportion of people who have completed vaccination in the entire United States has not reached a level where the spread of infection can be continuously suppressed, and it is expected that it will take some time before the state of so-called "herd immunity" is reached.
On the other hand, a new concern in the United States is the spread of mutated viruses, which are said to be highly infectious.
Among them, the increase in the type of mutant virus that was first found in the United Kingdom is remarkable, and analysis by a private testing company estimates that more than 20% of newly infected people in the United States have this mutant virus. Analysis shows that more than half of the newly infected people in New York City are due to multiple mutant viruses.
Expert "It takes time to acquire immunity"
Daniel Hompad, an associate professor at New York University who specializes in public health policy, explained why the United States was in the most serious situation in the world. , Political divisions have made it difficult to control infections, such as wearing masks leading to political problems. "
In addition, the reason why the number of infected people in the United States is decreasing now is that "the period of rapid increase in infection due to the movement of people and dinner due to Thanksgiving and Christmas has passed" and "The United States last year's economic activity The resumption and deregulation of behavioral restrictions were so urgent that the infection spread again. Keeping this in mind, the resumption of economic activity should be judged carefully. "
Furthermore, regarding the effect of the vaccine, he said, "The first effect will appear in nursing care facilities where elderly people with a high risk of aggravation live." It takes time to get a preventable level of immunity, so the effect is not immediate. If the number of deaths and hospitalizations begins to decrease, it may be after spring. "