The numbers do not lie .. Has America defeated the Corona virus?

The United States has advanced over all countries of the world in the total number of "Covid-19" virus infections since the start of the virus outbreak in the American territories, nearly a year and a half ago, then helped the amazing speed of developing American vaccines, and launching them upon receiving the approval of the Federal Food and Drug Administration, On curbing the spread of the virus.

Johns Hopkins University data indicates that 33 million HIV infections were recorded among Americans, 28 million people had been cured, and 606,000 more died by the end of May 26.

The average daily death toll from the Corona virus during the past week was 568, which is a small number compared to the average deaths during the month of January, which was about 3 thousand deaths per day.

The number of Americans who undergo a test to detect the Corona virus decreased after it reached last November to an average of two million tests per day, and the infection rate among them was 9.5%, to reach last week an average of less than 800,000 tests per day, and the infection rate is only 3.2%, and experts return This is due to the increase in the number of recipients of vaccines, and the lack of need to test for HIV infection.

As for the number of patients being treated for HIV infection in hospitals, last week it reached an average of 24,000 people in all US states, of whom 7,000 were in intensive care rooms, and this is a significant decrease compared to the rates of last January, when it reached More than 100 thousand patients are infected with the virus in hospitals, and the average number of cases in central care rooms exceeded 25 thousand cases.

Khaled Al-Shami, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University's College of Medicine, points to the impact of the significant decline in the number of injuries and deaths on the hospital system. Dealing with the body from several departments in the hospital, but during recent weeks, we have rarely heard this call. "

In his interview with Al-Jazeera Net, Al-Shami added, "I do not know of any adult who has not received the vaccine yet, except perhaps for some skeptics and supporters of conspiracy theories, who are returning the vaccine for ideological reasons."

Vaccine campaign

Many public health experts believe that the United States has finally started to win its battle against the Corona virus due to one weapon exclusively, and that is vaccines.

America had consumed 289 million doses of vaccine by the end of May 26.

More than 134 million Americans (40% of all adults) received the full dose of the vaccine, either with a single dose in the case of Pfizer and Moderna, and a single dose in the case of Johnson & Johnson.

More than 165 million Americans (50% of all adults) have received at least one dose to date.

The vaccines have proven to be very effective, and data collected by the New York Times reveal that 99.7% of patients who receive hospital treatment due to their infection with the Coronavirus have not received the vaccine, and a statement by the famous Cleveland Clinic Foundation stated that "vaccines have succeeded in combating this type of dangerous infection, which was killing More than 3,000 Americans a day just a few months ago. "

During the past week, HIV cases and deaths decreased in 37 of America's fifty states, and the number of people needing hospitalization for treatment with the virus decreased, as well.

Many states, companies and various organizations offer incentives for citizens to get vaccinated, starting with a piece of cake or beer for free, and even free flights.

Ohio will include vaccinated people in the lottery, giving them an opportunity to win $ 1 million, and this has led to a high vaccination rate in Ohio, which rose by 55% among young people in the days after the program was revealed.

On the other hand, the US Food and Drug Administration agreed two weeks ago to allow the vaccination of boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 15, at a time when more trials are being conducted on younger children.

This coincides with the start of a safe return to workplaces, schools and restaurants, and the number of air travelers increased, after more than a year of closures and precautionary measures that changed the shape of American daily life.

The battle is not over yet

Despite the widespread commitment to safety measures such as continuing to wear face masks (masks) and social distancing, the average number of HIV infections has reached less than 30,000 new cases per day this week.

Some see these rates as a success when compared to the daily infection rates during last January, which ranged between 200,000 and 250,000 people, while some consider them evidence that the struggle with the virus will continue for months to come.

Despite high vaccination rates in general, southern states suffer from low rates of vaccine recipients among their citizens.

Johns Hopkins University data reveals that the states known to vote broadly in favor of the Republican Party, such as Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas, are among the states with the lowest vaccination rates.

Some reports also warn that the emergence of new, more contagious forms of the virus, as well as the resurgence of infection cases in some parts of the Midwest, raises fears that doctors do not know all the implications of yet.

Jason Furman, an economist at Harvard University and former president of the Council of Economic Advisers of former President Barack Obama, said in an interview with National Radio, "The outbreak of the virus is not over yet, and the United States should not risk believing that we have defeated the Corona virus, and then pack our bags and go." ahead".