Hospitals in the United States are on high alert for the new, more contagious COVID-19 strain that first appeared in UK and has since appeared in COLORADO, California and now Florida.
Florida health officials announced this week that they have evidence of the first identified case of the strain in Martin County. In a Twitter post on Thursday night, the state health department said the man is 20 years old with no travel history.
The fast-moving virus is arriving as cases continue to grow at a steady pace, reports Tom Hanson of CBS News. More than 160,000 new COVID-19 infections were reported across the country on Friday, pushing the total number of cases over 20 million on the first day of 2021.
Nearly 350,000 Americans have died from the disease. In California alone, the virus claimed 585 lives on New Year’s Day – 47,000 new cases were reported in the state on the same day, inflating the number of cases in hospitals.
“It’s like stepping on water 100 feet below the surface,” said Scott Brickner, a nurse at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. “You’re already drowning, but you just have to keep trying, because that’s what you can do.”
COVID-19 kills one person every ten minutes in Los Angeles County.
Nationally, 40% of new cases are in the southern states. Hospitalization in Texas broke records for five consecutive days, a 36% increase in the last month.
Against the gloomy background, defiant crowds danced in Philadelphia to protest the cancellation of the New Year’s Parade, and religious believers protested against California’s boundaries regarding indoor gatherings.
“There is a greater good than being here than being afraid of a virus,” said one person.
Meanwhile, the best hope to fight the virus – vaccines – has been tainted in Wisconsin, when a pharmacist admitted to forgery with bottles at an Aurora Heath center.
Jeff Blair, president of Aurora Health, said the individual was “suspended and admitted to intentionally removing the vaccine from the refrigerator.” The person is in police custody, and the matter is now under criminal investigation.
“The 57 beneficiaries of these vaccines have been notified. At this time, there is no evidence that the vaccinations will harm them,” Blair said.
However, even in the best of circumstances, the inoculation of the nation has been difficult so far. This week, 20 million primary doses were supposed to be in people’s arms this week, but only 12.5 million were distributed and less than 3 million were administered.
Army General Gus Perna, who handles the distribution of vaccines, expressed optimism about the launch.
“It’s only been 12 days, it’s two holidays, there have been three major storms and I think the absorption will increase significantly,” he said.
In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the goal is to vaccinate a million people by the end of January. The city received 360,000 doses and administered approximately 98,000. Vaccines will be launched in an effort to speed up distribution.