Mar 31, 201 – Are coronavirus variants behind the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in states like Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York? Does the relaxation of public health measures also play a role?
It depends who you ask.
Anthony Fauci, MD warned that the recent surge in cases could be due to worrying variants, although the scenario is likely to be more complicated.
Cases are increasing in many states. How concerned am i? I am concerned, but not as much as I was 6 months ago, with these trends. Short thread. 1 /
– Caitlin Rivers, PhD (@cmyeaton) March 29, 2021
Although the variants first identified in the UK and South Africa are “playing a role” in the spike in new COVID-19 cases, Fauci told CBS ” Face the Nation on March 29 that spring break travel is increasing and easing increases from Public health actions have also contributed.
“Several states have done this,” he said, referring to the lifting of mask mandates. “I think it’s premature.”
States hardest hit by the recent COVID-19 cases include Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York. Other states seeing worrying trends, especially among younger residents and visitors, include Illinois, Iowa, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.
The state in New Jersey
“Cases are on the rise, hospital stays increased by 200 to 300 to 10 days in the past week,” New Jersey governor Phil Murphy said at a March 29 news conference. The state predicted and expected this surge, he added.
COVID-19 fatigue and variants both contribute to the increase, Murphy said. “We don’t have the weather we need yet. We just aren’t in a position, like many states in the south, that can live outside much of their lives,” Murphy said.
There are several factors. The state’s population density, New York City just across the river, and “Yes, the variations play a role too,” said Dr. Edward Lifshitz, Medical Director for the New Jersey Department of Health, during the briefing.
When asked about assigning vaccines to areas with higher variant rates, Murphy replied, “While we are eager to tell you what we know about variants, we assume they are all over the state.”
Sequenced New York
Jonah Bruno, director of public information for the New York State Department of Health, didn’t respond directly when Medscape asked whether the variants or the loose protection of public health played a role in the state’s recovery.
Instead, according to Bruno, New York is sequencing COVID-19 virus samples, randomly selected from across the state, at a rate of around 90 per day to track worrying variants.
“It’s normal for a virus to mutate,” he said, reiterating a list of COVID-19 protective measures like masks, social distancing and vaccination when possible as “the best way for New Yorkers to protect themselves.”
Michigan more direct
A spokesman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (Lynn Sutfin) said, “The presence of more contagious variants like the B117 [U.K.] Variant, threatens our progress in epidemic control and MDHHS will closely monitor data. “
“Our goal is to get active again while reducing the risk to public health. So we are moving slowly to maintain progress and momentum with thoughtful public health policies,” added Sutfin.
“We will continue to monitor the data to make decisions, including three key metrics: case rates, percent positivity, and hospital stays,” she said. “It is important that we don’t let up now and remind Michiganders to keep masking themselves, wash their hands, keep social distance, get tested and get vaccinated as soon as it is available to them.”
Florida at the top?
Florida is the furthest thing to have overturned pandemic safeguards, the New York Times reported on March 28, and is therefore viewed as a “national COVID battle”.
However, at the time of publication, Florida had not yet responded to a request for additional perspective on the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the state.
Every story you will see @FacesOfCOVID for the rest of the day is about someone who died of COVID in the past two weeks.
They are between 35 and 82 years old. They came from California, Wisconsin, Michigan, Colorado, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Virginia.
It’s not over. pic.twitter.com/pSeuRwi8NE
– Alex Goldstein (@alexjgoldstein) March 29, 2021
Meanwhile, with an increasing number of COVID-19 cases across the country, the big picture looks ominous, according to CDC director Rochelle Walensky. She warned of “impending doom” when she made a passionate plea during a White House press conference on March 29 for Americans to continue to take recommended precautions to contain the spread of the virus.
For updates to this evolving situation, the CDC is tracking affected variants B117, B1.351 (South Africa) and P1 (Brazil) on a map showing the number of cases reported for each state.
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