Covid-19 in the United States: the number of cases increasing exponentially

President Joe Biden in Washington, Tuesday, January 4, 2022, with Dr. Anthony Fauci.

AP - Andrew Harnik

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

The number of coronavirus cases is growing steadily and even exponentially in the United States.

It is especially among the youngest that the situation worries.

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With our correspondent in Washington,

It is President Biden's chief medical adviser, Dr Anthony Fauci, who says it himself: the curve in the number of cases in the United States is practically vertical.

More than a million cases were reported as of Monday, January 4 alone.

There is probably a catch-up effect after New Years weekend, so it should be taken with care.

But the daily average over the past seven days is now approaching half a million.

The Omicron variant accounts for over 90% of new infections and re-infections.

If the number of deaths has been falling for a week, hospitalizations are also on the rise.

Particularly in young children, for whom a quadrupling is observed.

Today, we are doubling our Pfizer antiviral pill order from 10 million to 20 million treatment courses.

These pills have been shown to dramatically decrease hospitalization and death from COVID-19.

They are a game-changer.

- President Biden (@POTUS) January 4, 2022

The various authorities are looking for the best answer, in particular by increasing the number of tests.

More than 3,000 schools across the country have postponed the start of the January school year or resumed by distance learning.

This is not the case with all of them.

The new mayor of New York, Eric Adams, on the other hand, decided to leave the schools open.

For him, it is the place where children are the safest, with in particular the obligation to wear a mask.

Health authorities have also launched the process to authorize booster doses from the age of 12, against 16 years previously.

For administration, vaccination and the third dose remain the best protections against the meteoric progression of the Omicron variant.

►Read also: Beginning of compulsory vaccination for part of the American population

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• United States

• Joe biden

• Coronavirus

• Health and medicine