US coronavirus: Covid-19 crisis in Michigan could be a sign of what’s next for the US, says expert

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“Michigan is really shaking for what it looks like when version B.1.1.7 … spreads in the United States,” Dr. Celine Gounder told CNN on Sunday. “It causes an increase in cases and causes more severe diseases, which means that even younger people, people in their 30s, 40s and 50s, get very ill and are hospitalized because of this.”
Florida has the highest number of cases, followed by Michigan, Minnesota and Massachusetts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Michigan is “on fire”

Growth in Michigan is a combination of two factors, says Gounder: the spread of variant B.1.1.7 combined with people relaxing with mitigation measures before vaccinating enough residents.

And while some officials – including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer – are trying to bring a case to the federal government to extend vaccines to the state, Gounder says that won’t help in this case.
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Here’s why: It takes about two weeks after the second dose of Pfizer and Moderna and about two weeks after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine before people become immune, she said. Gounder, meanwhile, added, “The incubation period, which is the period from when you are exposed to when you are infected with coronavirus, is four to five days.”

“So there is no way that an increase in vaccination can help reduce this situation when transmission is taking place right now,” she said. “The truth is that the only thing that will reduce transmission at this time is the measures that take effect immediately.” For example, disguise yourself, do not dine indoors and socialize outdoors, she added.

Michigan now reports thousands of new cases of Covid-19 daily, when just a few weeks ago, state data showed that the daily number of reported cases was up to 563 cases. In one part of the state, emergency physician Dr. Rob Davidson said CNN hospitalizations have increased “fourfold in the past two weeks.”

“Hospitals are flooded,” Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University, told CNN. “Michigan needs to close.”

He added, however, that the government should send more vaccines to the state.

“Think of it this way: every year, during the fire season, when forest fires get out of hand, we don’t just leave the states to manage as best we can. We are targeting firefighting forces in those states. So Michigan is on fire now. And we need to eliminate that, “he said.

Other state leaders were alarmed

But it’s not just Michigan.

Minnesota health officials have warned that the state sees a “sudden growth” in the Covid-19 cases, saying that it is “more important than ever” to continue wearing a mask and physical distance.
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said the state has seen increasing cases of Covid-19, hospitalizations and ICU admissions, and urged residents to get vaccinated to avoid another wave.

“This is a race,” he said. “We are in a race. And it is a race of life and death.”

In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf warned last week that the state was seeing an increase in cases and urged residents to “do their part and practice proven public health practices to stay safe.”

Also last week, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy expressed concern about the state’s constant number of Covid-19 cases and what could be ahead.

“That’s why we continue to apply things like our state-wide mask mandate, especially for indoor activities, where we know transmission is more likely,” Murphy said. It is also the reason why we aggressively moved the vaccine eligibility period.

The United States must address the vaccine’s hesitation, says the expert

Some experts say the US could surpass a new growth potential in the coming weeks if Americans will resist a little longer and continue to practice safety measures, while more people are vaccinated against the virus.

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To date, approximately 35.9% of all Americans have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, according to CDC data. And about 21.9% of the population is completely vaccinated.
At a record rate of US vaccines, the country could reach the number of vaccinations needed to control the virus in the next few months, Reiner said.

“The way to do this is to get vaccinated like crazy,” he said.

But there are challenges ahead.

“The last 20-30% will be the hardest, because a lot of people in this country are still hesitant to get the vaccine. We see it all over the country,” Reiner said. “We need to really go down to the grassroots, talk to people about their hesitation and shoot ourselves in the arms.”

“Because if we don’t get vaccinated in the last 30% or so, we’re going to have to live with this virus for a very long time.”

CNN’s Anna Sturla contributed to the report.

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