White House Covid chief warns virus is still a threat

The leading White House COVID-19 official warns that the United States is still in the midst of the pandemic and supports calls by Americans to return masks in closed public places.

Dr Ashish Jha, the White House’s Covid Response Coordinator, told ABC on Sunday this week that the virus still remains a threat during the rise of the BA. better place than in previous years.

He also repeated phone calls from the doctor. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, asked Americans to wear face masks in public places indoors last week. But a federal mask mandate has erased its potential, saying he believes local governments should be responsible for such decisions.

The BA.5 variant is considered the most contagious variant to date, even if it is capable of reinfecting a person only a few months after contracting the virus. According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it currently accounts for the majority of Covid infections in America.

But according to polls, many Americans have survived the pandemic, making Jha’s comments separate from the general sentiments of the American public.

At the time of the BA.5 acquisition, both the number of cases and the death toll are increasing in the United States. Daily infections rose 36% to 145,761 per day last week. The death toll rose 23% each day to 528.

‘This is a virus that is still evolving at the speed of light. We are still in the midst of this epidemic,” Jha warned.

“Obviously we are in a much better situation than we were a year and a half ago. But there is still work to be done, we need to keep this virus under control.’

A May Axios poll revealed that at least one in three Americans would not agree with the Czar’s White House assessment.

The survey revealed that 31% of Americans, including about 60% of Republicans, believe the pandemic is over.

While Jha warns that this is the most “immune evasive” version of the virus ever to explode, there are still tools available to contain it.

“The good news is, if our tools, our vaccines are up to date, if you’ve been vaccinated recently… if you’re being treated, they continue to work very well,” he said.

Ashish Jha (pictured) says America is still in the midst of the pandemic

“It’s a concern, but we know how to deal with it.”

He noted that people over the age of 50 who are most at risk of contracting the virus should receive their fourth dose of vaccines if they have not yet.

The injections, the second booster after the original two-dose schedule of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, became available earlier this year to strengthen protection for the most vulnerable to the virus.

“If you’re 50 or older, if you haven’t had a chance in 2022 this year, it’s absolutely essential that you have it now, it will provide a high level of protection,” Jha said. Said.

He also advised Americans to return their masks.

“If you are in a crowded indoor space, especially if it cannot be ventilated, wearing a mask reduces the risk of infection and transmission to others.”

Jha’s comments coincide with those of Fauci, who last week asked Americans to wear face masks in some public places to prevent the spread of BA.

Last week, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said that while every American wants to leave the pandemic behind, there are some steps that need to be taken.

“Everyone wants to leave this epidemic behind, feel it and hope it doesn’t exist. “The good news is that we have the capacity and the tools to manage this, and we have to use those tools.”

“And if you’re in an area where the infection dynamics are high – and you’ve talked about imposing something – but advising people while you’re inside, get together and wear a mask.” These are simple and achievable things that can keep us from having more problems than we have now.

Masks are currently not in demand anywhere in America, but that may change soon. Los Angeles entered a “high” level of Covid risk late last week.

According to city guidelines, a “high” level of risk for two weeks in a row will lead to the reinstatement of an inner mask duty.

While all relevant numbers are currently on the rise, the country’s second-largest city will likely reach that point on July 29.

Jha said he supports local jurisdictions to do what they believe is best for their virus-related communities, while keeping the federal government away from local decisions.

The BA.5 variant is considered the most infectious form of Omicron to have emerged to date. Early data from South Africa, where it was first discovered, also suggests it may evade natural COVID immunity caused by a previous infection.

This is especially dangerous because many people who thought they were temporarily protected from Covid from a previous infection suddenly become vulnerable again.

It accounts for 65 percent, or two-thirds, of all active infections in America, according to CDC genomic sequencing.

It came alongside the BA.4 variant, which was also discovered in South Africa earlier this year and now accounts for 16% of cases, according to CDC data.

The BA 2.12.1 variant, which was dominant before BA.5, now accounts for only 17% of cases and is now extinct by two new species.

The rapid spread of the two new strains and the increasing cases associated with them has prompted officials like Fauci to advise Americans to maintain some of the COVID precautions they may have already been aware of over the past few years.