On July 4, for America, Independence Day, the day of Independence, was celebrated by President Joe Biden as the day of liberation from the Coronavirus. Almost 70% of Americans vaccinated and a sharp decline in infections and deaths across the country.
But probably, as is happening almost all over the world, the virus does not seem to have disappeared at all but continues to mutate, transforming into different variants. Something absolutely normal for viruses but it is clear that in the case of Covid-19 the concern is great.
Currently the variant B.1.617.2 better known as the Delta variant, considered highly contagious (it seems it takes a few seconds to transmit the infection) represents over 50% of cases in the United States, according to the official estimates of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the departments of disease control and prevention).
Delta was first detected in India and is rapidly spreading around the world.
In some parts of the United States, the Delta strain accounts for more than 80 percent of new infections, including some Midwestern states like Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas.
In the western states, the variant is also doing damage and is responsible for 74.3% of infections in states such as Utah and Colorado, and 58.8% for infections in southern states such as Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
The real good news, however, is that vaccines used in the United States such as Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson all appear to be very effective in protecting against serious illness, hospitalization and death.
Faced with the reluctance of nearly 150 million Americans to get vaccinated, public health officials are running a strong communication and information campaign.
In particular, the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine is very effective against the Delta variant.
“Right now we have two Americas: vaccinated America and unvaccinated America,” says Dr. Paul Offit, an infectious disease specialist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
“We feel pretty good right now because it is summer and the situation is under control. But in winter, if we still have a significant percentage of the unvaccinated population, we will see this virus increase again,” confirmed the scientist.
The entire US scientific world agrees that it is essential to increase vaccinations in other countries. The world has to move because the variants could increase and perhaps more dangerous and capable of “piercing” vaccines.