Spotlight on Health Headlines
W hite House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci warned that Covid-19 cases in the U.S. may plateau again at a very high level, even as the nation rapidly administers three vaccines. According to calculations, using Johns Hopkins University data, the U.S. is recording at least 58,100 new Covid-19 cases and at least 1,560 virus-related deaths each day. The U.S. peaked at close to 250,000 cases per day in early January fol- lowing the winter holidays. Cases have surged before falling and plateauing two other times over the past year. Some health experts fear the U.S. could see a “fourth wave” of infections as new, highly contagious variants continue to spread and some states lift restrictions intended to contain the virus. Top U.S. officials, including Fauci, say rolling back restrictions too soon may reverse the downward trajectory in infections and delay the nation’s recovery from the pandemic. CDC SAYS PEOPLE WHO ARE FULLY VACCINAT- ED AGAINST COVID CAN MEET SAFELY INDOORS WITHOUT MASKS T he CDC released new guidance for people who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, a highly antici- pated step as the nation tries to ease back into normality following almost a year of restrictions due to the pandemic. “There are some activities that fully vaccinated people can begin to resume now in the privacy of their own homes. Ev- eryone, even those who are vaccinated, should continue with all mitigation strategies when in public settings,” CDC Direc- tor Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. According to the guidance, fully vaccinated people can safe- ly visit with other fully vaccinated people and some unvacci- nated people indoors without wearing masks or social dis- tancing. Someone is considered fully vaccinated two weeks following either a single shot of Johnson & Johnson’s newly authorized vaccine or two weeks after their second shot of Moderna’s or Pfizer’s two-dose regimens. WHITE HOUSE CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISOR WARNED COVID-19 CASES IN THE U.S. MAY PLATEAU AGAIN AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL
T he world needs to ramp up efforts to combat Covid-19 and countries must not let their guard down, the World Health Organization’s chief scientist warned as coronavirus cases around the world surge. “We’re at a very risky period,” said Dr. Soumya Swaminathan of the World Health Organization. “We need to double down; this is not the period to let up.” The WHO last week warned that new Covid-19 cases were increasing around the world after six consecutive weeks of declines. More than 2.6M new cases were reported in the last week of February, up 7 percent from the week before, accord- ing to the health agency. A n overwhelming majority of people who have been hospital- ized, needed a ventilator or died from Covid-19 have been overweight or obese, the CDC said in a new study. Among 148,494 adults who received a Covid-19 diagnosis during an emergency department or inpatient visit at 238 U.S. hospitals from March to December, 71,491 were hospitalized. Of those who were admitted, 27.8% were overweight and 50.2% were obese, according to the CDC report. The agency found the risk for hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths were lowest among individuals with BMIs under 25. The risk of severe illness “sharply increased” however, as BMIs rose, particularly among people 65 and older, the agency said. The study had limitations, the CDC said. Risk estimates for severe Covid-19 were measured only among adults who received care at a hospital and gave height and weight information were included in the report. CDC STUDY FINDS ABOUT 78% OF PEOPLE HOS- PITALIZED FOR COVID-19 WERE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE TIME TO DOUBLE DOWN NOT LET UP
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MARCH 2021 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • MARCH 2021
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