Xinhua News Agency, Washington, December 13th News analysis: US new crown confirmed cases exceed 50 million, “politicization of the epidemic” hinders the fight against the epidemic
Xinhua News Agency reporter Tan Jingjing
The latest statistics released by Johns Hopkins University in the United States show that as of the 13th local time, the cumulative number of confirmed cases of new crown in the United States exceeded 50 million, and the cumulative number of deaths was nearly 800,000. These two statistics still rank first in the world.
In the past year, there were approximately 35 million new confirmed cases of new crown in the United States. Various epidemic indicators have rebounded again recently after experiencing a period of relaxation in September and October this year. In an interview with Xinhua News Agency reporters a few days ago, a U.S. public health expert stated that “politicization of the epidemic” has become a major chronic disease in the United States since the beginning of the epidemic. Winter”.
Epidemic indicators rebounded again
The core indicators of the US epidemic have shown a trend of easing since September this year, but they have rebounded again since November, and the medical systems in many places are overwhelmed.
The weekly epidemic data released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the 10th showed that the average daily increase of confirmed cases of new crown in the United States was about 118,000 in 7 days, an increase of 37.3% compared with the previous week; the average daily increase of deaths in the 7 days was about 1,100, compared with the previous An increase of 27.8% in one week; an average daily increase of about 7,400 hospitalized cases in 7 days, an increase of 15.9% from the previous week. The number of hospitalized cases has increased by nearly 50% compared with a month ago. The number of beds in intensive care units in Maine and Michigan is in a hurry.
Since the United States reported its first case of infection with the Omi Kiron strain of the mutated new coronavirus on December 1, at least 27 states in the United States have reported cases of this strain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the genetic mutations carried by the Omi Kiron strain may increase its spread, thereby “escape” people from vaccines or previous infections.
Since returning to school in the fall, children have become one of the most affected groups in the United States by the epidemic. A report issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics on the 6th showed that since the outbreak, more than 7 million children in the United States have been diagnosed with the new crown, especially the recent incidence of children is “extremely high.” The number of new confirmed cases of children in a single week has exceeded 100,000 for 17 consecutive weeks. example.
Anti-epidemic situation in winter is worrying
Carlos Del Rio, associate dean of the School of Medicine at Emory University and professor of epidemiology, said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency that the accelerated spread of Delta and Omi Keron strains across the United States was the main reason for the recent surge in cases. . In addition, there are seasonal factors in the development of the epidemic. The number of new cases usually rises in the autumn and winter when the temperature is low. In addition, the base of the unvaccinated population is still large. These factors make the situation in the United States to fight the epidemic this winter very difficult.
A large number of people traveled during Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays in the United States, and party activities and indoor activities also increased significantly. The risk of virus transmission has increased and the prevention and control of the epidemic in various regions has become more difficult. The Los Angeles Times recently reported that many places in California have seen signs of a rebound after Thanksgiving. It is worrying whether this indicates that a new wave of cases is coming.
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, once said that it may not be until the end of 2021 that Americans can return to their normal state before the epidemic. Now that it is the end of the year, it seems that the United States is still a long way from the end of the epidemic.
“Politicization of the epidemic” hinders the fight against the epidemic
Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the two parties in the United States have been deeply divided, and the federal and state governments have blocked each other, and have never formed a unified national anti-epidemic plan. Epidemic prevention measures formulated by federal agencies and infectious disease experts have been delayed or shelved, and even if they are implemented, they are often compromised. Eric Topol, a geneticist at the Scripps Research Institute in the United States, posted on social media that the United States, the richest country in the world, is “one of the most blind countries to respond to the epidemic.”
Public opinion believes that the epidemic has become a magnifying glass and catalyst for conflicts in various fields such as American politics, economy, and society, exposing the long-standing inequality in the American medical system.
In response to the rapid increase in cases caused by the accelerated spread of the delta strain, US President Biden issued a vaccine injunction in September this year. It was originally scheduled to be implemented on January 4, 2022, but it has been appealed by many Republican states. The court was also suspended, and the Democratic Party also encountered “defection”.
As of now, nearly 40% of the population in the United States is still not fully vaccinated. In an interview with CNBC recently, Fauci admitted that the United States has very worrying political differences on scientific issues, which hinder the progress of the United States in responding to the epidemic.
Del Rio told reporters that the vaccine injunction is very important to the United States, but it has aroused a lot of opposition. If the United States can introduce a unified epidemic response plan, the results will be very different. Unfortunately, “politicization of the epidemic” has been a major sticking point in the United States since the beginning of the epidemic, and this situation will continue.Return to Sohu to see more
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