The CDC says a “disastrous trend” will emerge with the outbreak of a new COVID in the country

According to doctors at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States is experiencing a “disastrous trend”, with COVID-19 cases increasing in nearly 75% of the country.

Dr. Jay Butler, Deputy Director of Infectious Diseases, emphasized the importance of following public health recommendations on Wednesday after the decline in cases reported in August is now heading in the wrong direction.

“Unfortunately, there is a dire trend here in the United States,” he told reporters by phone. “The surge is likely to be related to lower temperatures,” he said, “driving transmissions for smaller, more intimate gatherings of family, friends, and neighbors, especially when traveling indoors. It may be, “he added.

Butler’s comments came in the latest information on the pandemic at the center’s Atlanta headquarters. There, authorities outlined the number and plans of concern for the so-called operational warp speed deployment of vaccines.

In the United States, 8.1 million COVID-19 cases have been identified and more than 220,000 have died. In Georgia, as of Wednesday afternoon, the state public health service reported 341,00 COVID-19 infections and 7,674 deaths.

More hotspots are emerging across the country, with new cases in Georgia increasing by 5% last week.

“We all realize that COVID-19 has had an impact on our lives and we’re tired of wearing masks, but that’s more important than ever,” Butler said. “And I think it’s more important than ever as we move into the fall season.”

Health officials on Wednesday warned Americans that we are heading for this year The arrival of the flu season, Cold weather, family gatherings around the holidays increase the chances of the virus spreading.

Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services, said he was optimistic that the country would be cornered if the vaccine became available in limited doses by the end of the year. He said the vaccine should be ready for widespread distribution by April.

According to Hazard, there is a multi-step process that includes clinical trials and other criteria that must be followed before the vaccine can be safely deployed.

“The vaccine work we do to Americans should be very reassuring in the process,” he said.

Hazard also dispelled criticism of his institution from Emory University’s Dean of Public Health. Interference weakens the CDC And concerns from Butler About the Trump administration rushing to resume Places of worship and other places where large numbers of people gather.

Similar to the reopening during a pandemic, the general public is required to wear masks and stay at a social distance, whether at political gatherings, churches, or elsewhere.

“The CDC plays a very important and important role, but in this range, scale, and scale pandemic, the CDC plays a role, not just the (only) role,” Hazard said. I will.

Georgia submitted a plan to distribute the vaccine under consideration by the CDC on Friday, Butler said.

“It’s important to recognize that these plans are flexible, as things can change as we learn about which vaccines will be available when and in what amount,” he said.

The latest CDC guidelines also provide an updated definition of “close contact”, and a series of short periods of 15 minutes or more in total is considered close contact. This is a shift from the previous guideline that the interaction should last at least 15 minutes within 24 hours. ..

The guidelines extend the scope of contact tracing performed by the public health department to students and staff returning to the classroom and those returning to work.

The CDC is making changes based on new data, said Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, and said ongoing research could reduce the recommended quarantine period to less than 14 days. ..

“CDC is a science-based, data-driven organization. We are not an opinion organization,” Redfield said. “Therefore, when we get data that supports changing recommendations, those recommendations change.”

This story was originally published by Georgia Recorder. For more articles on Georgia Recorder, please visit: GeorgiaRecorder.com..