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Public health experts reported this week that Covid cases are on the rise again in the United States due to the spread of a new Omicron subspecies that is more contagious and can evade vaccines and the immunity created by previous infections. .
There are over 100,000 reported COVID-19 infections per day in the United States, but the real number is expected to be much higher due to the availability of at-home testing.
The good news is that hospitalizations and deaths are still relatively far lower than during past COVID spikes.
The Navajo Nation has reported 156 cases over the past three weekends, with 32 branches seeing uncontrolled spread.
Vice President Myron Reiser said at City Hall on Tuesday, “As our numbers continue to grow, please sanitize, get vaccines and wear masks.”
As of June 6, the Navajo Nation has 54,622 cases and 1,795 deaths.
Navajo epidemiologist Del Yazee said hospitalizations remained stable and hospitalizations were down while cases were rising in the country and surrounding states, reflecting national trends. 65% say the good news is ICU bed capacity is 54%.
For the week ending June 5, the average number of daily infections was 818 in Utah, 680 in New Mexico, and 1,863 in Arizona.
“We still have a lot of Covid cases around us in the bordering states,” Yazie said.
Navajo Health Director Jill Jim urges everyone to continue to take precautions and exercise extreme caution, as the new Omicron subspecies circulating appears to be more contagious.
“People are still testing positive,” she said.
She said it might look like everyone is “back to normal” with the reservation off.
“But here in the Navajo Nation, we haven’t gotten that far,” Jim said. “The Navajo Nation is still under a massive disaster declaration.”
President Jonathan Nez said at this point it is ultimately everyone’s responsibility to adhere to COVID-19 prevention protocols to limit the spread of the virus in their homes and communities.
Jim also recommended that anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 seek early treatment and consider taking the federally distributed Pfizer antiviral medication (if advised by a healthcare provider). only if present).
“Paxlovid is very effective in reducing symptoms and preventing hospitalization,” she said.
variant mutation
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is constantly changing over time, accumulating mutations in its genetic code, according to the CDC.
In the week to June 4, the predominant Omicron variant accounted for 62.2% of US cases, and subvariants accounted for 24.8%, 5.4%, and 7.6% of cases.
As first reported by CNN on June 1, a preliminary study conducted by Columbia University on May 26 found that the rapidly spreading subvariant is: They were found to be four times more likely to escape antibodies than older variants.
This means that subvariants are more likely to lead to breakthrough infections, even in people who have had Covid before.
“As the Omicron lineage has evolved over the past few months, each successive subvariant seems to be getting better and better at human infection and antibody evasion,” the study said.
“This is a serious threat,” said Dr. David Ho, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University who led the research team.
The good news on the variant front is that the more deadly Delta variant no longer poses a significant risk to US public health, according to the CDC.
advances in vaccines
As of June 4, approximately 66.7% of the total US population and 67.4% of the Navajo population are fully vaccinated with two doses.
On May 19, the CDC recommended that children ages 5 to 11 receive a booster dose five months after the initial Pfizer and Biontech vaccination series.
This means that everyone in the US age 5 and older is eligible for the booster.
CDC also strengthened its recommendation that adults over 50 and adults over 12 with weakened immune systems should receive a second boost at least 4 months after the first booster. .
On June 2, Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said the FDA is currently evaluating the approval of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for children under the age of five, with a decision expected by mid-June. said it was scheduled to be dropped.
Overall cases of COVID-19 may be less severe than they used to be, with milder disease, vaccines and widely available treatments, but immune-evading variants are more susceptible to more severe infections. Some health experts are concerned about the expected surge this fall and winter because it can cause
On May 17, the Biden administration announced that U.S. households can now order the third round of eight free home tests on COVIDTests.gov.
Using free home testing could slow the spread of the virus, they said, as a highly contagious variant of Omicron has increased cases in parts of the country.
monkeypox
In other news, CDC scientists are tracking multiple cases of monkeypox reported in several countries, including the United States.
The first case was reported Tuesday in Maricopa County, Arizona, in a man in his late 30s.
Monkeypox is a viral disease spread by skin-to-skin contact, according to the Maricopa County Health Department.
After infection, there is an incubation period lasting an average of 7 to 14 days.
Early symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and fatigue. A rash appears shortly thereafter, and lesions usually begin to develop. After that, scabs form and disappear over a period of 2 to 3 weeks.
The CDC isn’t exactly sure how people are exposed to monkeypox, but early data suggests that gays, bisexuals, and other men who have sex with men make up many of the cases. He said that it suggests that
But anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk, they said.
“It’s important to remember that monkeypox remains a rare disease here in the United States and in Maricopa County,” said Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, MCDPH’s Medical Director for Disease Control.
