CDC Director Raises Alarm as Cases Rise Again, Variants Spread

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cd...ad/ar-BB1e3mfI

CDC Director Raises Alarm as Cases Rise Again, Variants Spread
Josh Wingrove and Jill R. Shah 46 mins ago

(Bloomberg) -- States should maintain Covid-19 restrictions such as mask wearing and capacity limitations as case numbers halt their decline, the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday, citing the circulation of new variants and infection rates that remain alarmingly high.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky issued a sobering warning during a press briefing Friday, where she said the more contagious B.1.1.7 variant, first found in the U.K., now accounts for an estimated 10% of current U.S. cases, and that variants in California and New York also appear to spread more easily.

“Things are tenuous -- now is not the time to relax restrictions,” Walensky said. “The latest data suggest that these declines may be stalling, potentially leveling off at still a very high number. We at the CDC consider this a very concerning shift in the trajectory.”

Cases have been falling since mid-January, but have leveled off over the past week at roughly 70,000 new cases a day -- equivalent to the number of cases seen at last summer’s peak. Hospitalizations are also falling though appear to be slowing their decline. Deaths have reversed a decline in recent days.

“We may be done with the virus but clearly the virus is not done with us,” Walensky said...

[sharon sanders]

I do not give much consideration to the case numbers because many people do not get tested and I am not sure how reliable the tests are with the new variants.

I look mostly at hospitalizations and deaths. Deaths are hovering around 2000 per day which was in the same range as the height of the outbreak in spring 2020. Hospitalizations are down because the holiday surges are over. link

It remains to be seen what happens next. Europe seems to have had a lot of trouble with the B.1.1.7 variant. Please see our European forum here.

Almost everyone I know is completely "over it". Many people are living as normal but wearing a mask when required inside stores, etc. Here in Central Florida the restaurants and sidewalks are full. What pandemic?

I think there is zero chance most people will follow restrictions beyond token mask wearing and/or a couple of feet of distancing.

Assess your personal situation, and if you are high risk - as we have been saying for a year - it is up to you to protect yourself. Do not expect government edicts to protect you.

Stay tuned to your local news channels. Use at least two sources for your news, and use your common sense.