US Coronavirus: Other US states could see scenarios similar to the Covid-19 crisis unfolding in Michigan, says expert

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And there are several reasons behind the crisis.

“One, we believe the overall infection rate in Michigan was lowest during the pandemic to date,” Beaumont Health CEO John Fox told CNN on Saturday. “Second, Michigan recently opened … with several orders that have been released. “

Officials reported last week that Beaumont Health’s eight hospitals in two Detroit-area counties were 90% -95% full and that the number of Covid-19 patients increased from 129 in late February to more than 800 patients. .

“Unfortunately, I think people have given up their infection control problems, they don’t wear their masks as much as they should, social distancing, hand hygiene,” Fox added.

Further complicating matters, he said, is the highly contagious variant of the coronavirus B.1.1.7 that is spreading rapidly not just in the state, but across the country.

Cases of that variant, which was first detected in the UK, have now been reported in all 50 US states, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Florida leads the country with the highest number of cases of the B.1.1.7 strain, followed by Michigan and Minnesota, according to CDC data.

Nurses present documentation for patients at Beaumont Hospital in Grosse Pointe, Michigan on April 16, 2021

And with a large portion of the older population vaccinated against the virus, the variant has hit younger groups hard.

“It’s really showing up in all of our emergency rooms and, frankly, in our inpatient units,” Fox said. “We’re treating patients younger than ever,” Fox said.

CNN emergency physician and medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen says she is concerned about what this could mean for Michigan and the United States.

“What’s happening in Michigan right now could very well happen in other states,” he told CNN on Saturday. “Especially since we have this more contagious B.1.1.7 variant that is now dominant in the United States.”

The encouraging news, Wen added, is that Covid-19 vaccines are accelerating, which could help mitigate another possible violent surge in the country.

Almost a quarter of all Americans are fully vaccinated

In the race to vaccinate as many Americans as possible, another important milestone: The United States is approaching a quarter of fully vaccinated Americans.

According to CDC data, more than 129 million Americans have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine (approximately 39% of the US population) and more than 82 million have been fully vaccinated (approximately the 24.8% of the population). Nearly a third of Americans age 18 and older have been fully vaccinated, according to the data.

Doctors Focus on Cause of Blood Clots Potentially Related to Covid-19 Vaccines

Meanwhile, a recommended pause in the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine continues in the US Officials from the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration made the recommendation on six reported cases in the US. of “rare and severe” blood clot, among more than 6.8 million Americans who injected.

CDC vaccine advisers, after meeting last week without making a decision, have scheduled another meeting for April 23 to address the question of whether the J&J vaccine causes blood clots and, if so, what to do about it. . The group previously said they needed more information.

Don't panic if you get these side effects from a Covid-19 vaccine. In fact, they can be a good sign.

“I’m glad that the hiatus is coming because it really illustrates that our system is working, that our federal health officials are prioritizing safety more than anything else,” Wen told CNN on Saturday. “If they’re willing to take a break from something that’s less than one in a million, we should be really cool about their commitment to safety.”

The other two Covid-19 vaccines that also received the green light in the US, Pfizer and Moderna, are not involved in the hiatus. And in the coming weeks, continuing the important message about their safety, Wen said, and why Covid-19 vaccines remain critical will be key.

“We are doing this because we have a pandemic that has claimed more than 500,000 lives here in the United States,” Wen added.

Federal Official: CDC and FDA are taking reports of blood clots and the J & amp; J Covid-19 & # 39; seriously & # 39;

During a Covid-19 briefing at the White House on Friday, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said officials recognize the importance of moving quickly with the J&J vaccine on hiatus.

“What I would tell the American people is that what we find are really extremely rare cases through our vaccine safety monitoring system. And that we are transparent: this Friday meeting will be public, people can call, we are transparently conveying that science, “Walensky said.

Officials have also reached out to thousands of providers to inform them of the types of cases they should be looking for, he said.

“And we want to convey to the American public: We have two vaccines that are available, Pfizer and Moderna, and people must continue to roll up their sleeves to get vaccinated,” Walensky added.

CNN’s Michael Nedelman, Jen Christensen, Maggie Fox, Virginia Langmaid, and Lauren Mascarenhas contributed to this report.

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