United States: The COVID-19 situation has been worsening with every passing day in the United States. The current wave of SARS-CoV-2 virus has been led by the new variant JN.1 – which is highly transmissible, as per WHO. The health agency has warned that the variant has been infecting the vaccinated population as well, making it more dangerous.
According to the official update, the amount of virus found in wastewater suggested that the United States might be facing its biggest increase in infections since the omicron variant in 2021. It’s estimated that around 2 million Americans are getting infected each day, as per Semafor.
However, it is to be noted that as of now, the number of deaths and hospitalization cases is less as compared to the last year. In addition to this, according to the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1,400 deaths per week have been registered since Thanksgiving.
Expert warns US government’s ‘passivity’ on new variant creates false impression that pandemic is over:
A COVID-19 tracking expert – Dr Eric J Topol, stated, “It’s crickets from the White House on COVID now, with no messaging on getting the updated booster or masking,” in an op-ed for The Los Angeles Times.
In addition to this, the White House has been appealing to the general public to take booster shots against COVID-19 and continuously test themselves at home. In regard to mask mandates, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that the Biden Administration will not get involved in the decisions related to mask mandates.
The official data has revealed that only 19 percent of American adults have taken jabs against COVID-19.
Is there a need for a lockdown?
The world has been witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases, but experts have mentioned that there is no need for lockdowns, according to Nikkei Asia, Channel News Asia. The experts have also outlined that the countries must not go for border closure right now as they are better prepared to deal with the pandemic.
The experts have mentioned that seasonal ebbs and flows are expected. Epidemiologist – Ooi Eng Eong stated, “What we are living through now is probably what will be happening for the foreseeable future,” during an interview with Singapore’s Channel News Asia.