As of February 15, there have been more than 38 million Americans who have received their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, but experts warn this is not the end of the pandemic and caution should continue to be taken. It has been said that a widespread of the vaccines will not be available until summer.
With more than tens of thousands of new cases continuing to be reported daily, experts warn that precautions still need to be taken. “It’s what we’re doing right: staying apart, wearing masks, not traveling, not mixing with others indoors,” Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We’ve had three surges,” Frieden added. “Whether or not we have a fourth surge is up to us, and the stakes couldn’t be higher not only in the number of people who could die in the fourth surge, but also in the risk that even more dangerous variants will emerge if there’s more uncontrolled spread.”
More than 67,000 people remain hospitalized across the country, according to the COVID Tracking Project. In February alone, the US has reported more than 42,500 virus-related deaths. New strains of the virus continue to pose a threat on the effectiveness of the vaccine, adding more urgency to following health experts guidance.
Read more here.
