Flu a and b test: the new crown epidemic in the United States may be underestimated or re-emerged

Flu a and b test: the new crown epidemic in the United States may be underestimated or re-emerged

Recently, the new crown epidemic in the United States seems to be in a plateau, but epidemiologists said that factors such as incomplete epidemic data statistics may seriously underestimate indicators such as the number of daily confirmed cases in the United States, making the upward trend of the epidemic "covered up". With the advent of holidays such as Easter and spring break in the United States, gatherings increase, the spread of the virus may accelerate, and the epidemic in the United States may rise again.

The latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the United States has recently added about 29,000 confirmed cases of new crowns per day, about 500 deaths per day, and about 1,400 hospitalizations per day, a marked decline from the peak in early January this year.

However, recently, the subtype BA.2 of the new coronavirus Omicron strain has accelerated in the United States, and the number of infected cases has been rising rapidly since early February. It has become the main epidemic strain in the United States, bringing new opportunities for epidemic prevention and control. risks of. Experts believe that the BA.2 subtype strain is spreading rapidly in Europe, and many countries have experienced a new wave of surge, with a significant increase in confirmed cases, deaths, and hospitalizations. The United States is likely to encounter a similar situation.

Ezekiel Emanuel, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in the United States, believes that the United States is in the midst of a new wave of epidemics, but it is not yet clear how big this time will be. He pointed out that the BA.2 subtype strain is much more transmissible than the original Omicron strain and is spreading rapidly across the United States.

Insufficient testing has kept many new cases from being counted, NBC reported. At the peak of the epidemic in the United States in January this year, the daily testing volume was about 2 million, but now it has dropped to an average of about 530,000 per day. Some groups with mild symptoms no longer go for virus testing, and some groups are tested at home without reporting the results.

In fact, statistics from across the United States have reflected the recent upward trend in infections. Statistics cited by the NBC show that over the past two weeks, confirmed cases of the new crown in Nebraska have increased by nearly 80%, Arizona by 75%, New York State by 58%, and Massachusetts by 55%. In addition, wastewater surveillance data suggests infection rates are rising in Colorado, Ohio, and Washington states, among others.

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said recently that the number of confirmed cases of new crowns in the United States may increase significantly in the next few weeks, and the United States may usher in another "surge" this fall.

Fauci believes that the increase in infections may be related to factors such as the lifting of "mask orders" across the United States, the relaxation of prevention and control measures in indoor places, and the decline in antibody levels after people have been vaccinated for a period of time. If the situation changes and infections and hospitalizations increase significantly, the United States may return to stricter restrictions, including indoor mask orders.

The health department of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's largest city, announced on the 11th that due to the rise in infection cases in the city, it will resume the mandatory "mask order" for indoor venues from the 18th.

Looking back on the way the United States has fought against the epidemic, there is a vicious cycle of "tightening - loosening - epidemic worsening - tightening again - loosening again". One of the important deep-seated reasons is that the scientific issue of anti-epidemic has been politicized. From wearing masks to vaccinations, many people object. Peter Hotez, an American medical expert, pointed out that some political forces are to blame for the rising tide of anti-science in the United States. Derek Robertson, a staff writer for "Political Magazine", said that in the United States, the debate on new crown epidemic prevention measures and vaccine mandates has long been out of the scope of science and has become an outlet for cultural differences that have been divided over the years.

Experts emphasize that vaccination and booster shots are still the best way to prevent infection. According to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 65.8% of the US population has completed the full course of the new crown vaccine, but less than half of the population who have completed the vaccination received booster shots. Vaccination rates for children ages 5 to 11 remain low, and while children have a lower overall risk of severe illness from COVID-19, they can still contract the virus, become seriously ill or spread the virus to others, the CDC said.