Since January 1, more than 100,000 people have died of COVID-19 in the United States, according to JHU data.

So far this year, more than 100,000 people have died of COVID-19 in the United States, according to the report. Johns Hopkins University Data..

Since January 1, 2021, the United States has reported a total of 100,317 COVID-19 deaths, bringing the total number of deaths reported in the United States since the start of the pandemic to 446,272.

The first COVID-19-related death occurred on February 29, 2020 in Washington State. In late spring, the two early deaths in California were confirmed to be COVID-19 after death.

According to JHU data, there were more COVID-19 deaths in the United States than in any other country. Brazil has recorded more than 200,000 deaths. Mexico, India and the United Kingdom all report more than 100,000 deaths.

There are currently more vaccinations than reported cases

The number of people who received at least one COVID-19 vaccine is higher than the number of US COVID-19 cases reported throughout the pandemic.

is more than 26.3 million cases According to Johns Hopkins University, it has been reported in the past year.

And in Less than 2 months, is more than 26.4 million doses of vaccine It is being administered, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But that doesn’t mean the pandemic is gone. The reason is as follows.

• Number of coronaviruses Infections can be four times higher Researchers say there are more cases than actually reported. In mid-January, the CDC estimates that there have actually been 83.1 million COVID-19 cases in the United States since the pandemic began. “Even after adjusting for underreporting, there remains a significant gap between the estimated proportion of infected populations and the proportion of infected populations needed to reach herd immunity.” Researcher wrote..

• New, highly contagious variants are spreading throughout the United States. Threatening to reinfect people Those who already have the coronavirus.
• Only about 1.84% of the US population receive both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.and it is At least a few months before most Americans can be vaccinated..

As part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens will begin vaccination next week. The White House has listed 21 national pharmacy chains Participate in the early stages of the program.

CVS and Walgreens have been vaccinated in several states using supplies from these states, but this is the first time CVS and Walgreens have been vaccinated directly by the federal government.

“This doesn’t seem to be great news for vaccine efficacy.”

on the other hand The virus always mutates, Especially some variants are worried about scientists:

— — B.1.1.7 strain first identified in the UK, Increased infectivity by up to 70% Than others

— — B.1.351 strain first identified in South Africa,this May reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine somewhat

— — First P.1 strain detected in Brazil,is this Suspicion of promoting the resurrection of COVID-19 In that country

All three of these variants have been found in the United States and the B.1.1.7 strain. Detected in at least 32 states..

Dr. Paul Stoffels, Chief Scientific Officer of Johnson & Johnson, told CNN’s Richard Quest on Tuesday that the world needs to vaccinate as many people as possible to limit the number of coronavirus variants. Said there was.

“If the pandemic is not immediately controlled, variants will begin to emerge and will continue to emerge, which will result in more vaccinations each year,” Stoffels said. “The mission is to control the virus so that it cannot mutate, multiply, or create new versions.”

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has not yet been approved, but the company said this month it would seek an emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration.

Scientists have found mutations in at least 11 samples of B.1.1.7 strains that may escape antibody protection, according to a Monday report by the British Public Health Service.

A mutation called E484K was part of the genetic characteristics of the already linked mutant South Africa And Brazil.

A new lab study found that antibodies from vaccinated people were less effective in neutralizing synthetic viruses similar to the B.1.1.7 sample that developed the E484K mutation.

“This doesn’t seem to be great news for vaccine efficacy,” said Joseph Forber, an epidemiology associate research scientist at the Graduate School of Public Health.

According to experts, the news is that the B.1.1.7 strain, already known to be highly infectious, may be somewhat resistant to vaccine protection or may cause reinfection in previously infected people. Can mean high.

Previous studies suggest that E484K may be the main reason for certain vaccines Seems less effective in South Africa.. Laboratory studies have also shown that antibodies appear to have a low ability to bind and neutralize peplomer resulting from mutations.

Former FDA scientist: Stop using COVID-19 convalescent plasma

The United States should stop treating coronaviruses with convalescent plasma, according to a former pandemic adviser to the Biden transition team. That’s because it may help the virus evolve into new, potentially more dangerous mutants.

Convalescent plasma collected from the blood of COVID-19 survivors simply does not work well, allowing the virus to continue to replicate and evolve in the patient’s body, a long-time US government biodefense consultant. Dr. Luciana Borio said.

“As an additional measure to reduce the likelihood that the virus will generate more mutations that can evade the immune system, the US Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Restorative Plasma last year. We recommend that you cancel, “said Borio in a written testimony submitted to the House Energy and Commerce Commission prior to Wednesday’s hearing.

Last august FDA has issued an emergency use authorization Regarding convalescent plasma for the treatment of COVID-19, “the known potential benefits of the product outweigh the known potential risks of the product,” he said.

“Overall, we already know that this treatment does not help patients with COVID-19. However, by using it in situations where it does not work, we naturally and mutate the virus. It provides a roadmap to help develop mutations that evade the immune response even faster, “writes Borio, now Vice President of Strategic Investment, in a solid In-Q-Tel.

“Convalescent plasma has been used in more than 150,000 patients, despite the recommendation that it should be limited to randomized controlled trials by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and is a virus when used indiscriminately. It can put more selective pressure on the vaccine, accelerating the day when the vaccine becomes less effective, “said Borio, a former deputy chief scientist at the FDA.

Recovered COVID-19 patients may still be re-infected

Even people infected with the coronavirus will be re-infected at a “very high rate” when new variants predominate, Dr. Anthony Fauci said.

“We need to vaccinate as many people as possible,” said Forch, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“Protection against variants is weakened, but there is sufficient protection to prevent serious illnesses such as hospitalization and death.”

He said South African health experts have noticed high reinfection rates that previous infections did not appear to protect people.

Rapid and widespread vaccination may help prevent the mutant from becoming more predominant.

“The virus cannot mutate without replication,” Fauci said.

“And if you vaccinate widely and stop their replication by not giving the virus an open competition to keep responding to the pressure you put on it, you can get mutations. can not.”

Pfizer vaccinated 200 million times two months earlier than planned

The manufacturer of one of the two vaccines currently being administered in the United States confirmed on Tuesday that it plans to deliver 200 million doses of vaccine to the United States by the end of May.

Pfizer initially planned to administer 200 million doses by July 31st. However, CEO Albert Bourla said last week that he expects the company’s production to be two months ahead of schedule.

“In the United States, we promised to deliver 100 million doses by the end of the first quarter, but now we can offer 120 doses,” Bourla said last week.

“The same is true for the second quarter. We planned to serve them up to 200 million times by the end of the second quarter, in fact the beginning of the third quarter. Currently two months. We will be able to provide 200 million doses before. “

The Biden administration has announced that it will purchase another 100 million doses from the company.

Pfizer said it had supplied the United States 20 million doses as of Sunday.

Both the Pfizer vaccine and the Modana vaccine should be given twice, 21 and 28 days apart.