COVID Cases Continue to Fall as Vaccines are Distributed Across the U.S.
By JACOB CRUZ-MEDRANDA
In 2021, COVID-19 has continued to plague the United States, causing several deaths every day. On a good note, the cases have dropped tremendously due to the vigorous effort to find a vaccine, put forth by Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, Moderna, and many more.
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The reason for the rapid drop in cases: vaccines are undoubtedly being output at an exponential rate. Scientists across the world continue to research new strands and vaccinations to provide the easiest recovery to the global pandemic.
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The first sign of hope for the pandemic came on December 8th, 2020, when Margaret Keenan received the first covid vaccine from Pfizer, as the BBC’s article, “Covid-19 vaccine: First person receives Pfizer jab in UK,” reported. Ever since this event, scientists have pushed to discover more vaccines and output them much faster.
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The trend of COVID-19 cases in America has only decreased as more vaccines get put out to the public. To put it in perspective, Since the highest 7-day average of 249,378 on January 11, 2021, the 7-day moving average decreased 78.1%, according to the CDC’s COVID Data Tracker.
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Despite the positive results from the new vaccinations, many have speculations on the legitimacy of the vaccine. Most of the skeptics appear to turn to the inconvenient side-effects as a reason to not get the vaccine.
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The article, “Get the Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines,” written by Mayo Clinic states, “COVID-19 vaccine can cause mild side effects after the first or second dose, including pain, redness or swelling where the shot was given, fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, nausea and vomiting, feeling unwell, [and] swollen lymph nodes.”
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Most Americans can look past these side-effects though; the real issue might lie in the misinformation spread throughout the internet. Clara Ferreira Marques from the Bloomberg Opinion emphasizes that “Misinformation is one problem: We know that from episodes like the Nigeria polio vaccine boycott in 2003-04, or the scare around the diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccination in the 1970s and 1980s.”
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Fake news has been a problem for years, and it tends to show its true colors most in difficult situations. Most people who doubt seemingly clear objectives most likely heard information from a faulty source.
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Marques later elaborates, “it’s vital to listen to the doubters and understand where the problems are coming from.”
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Continued arguments have not seemed to fix the problems so far, so Marques suggests that we as a people should start working together in fighting false news sources.
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Despite the political conflicts, many are happier knowing that they have or will have the vaccine.
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Westlake High School Junior Colin Higham states, “Getting the COVID-19 vaccine gave me peace of mind more than anything. While it definitely made me safer, it also gave me freedom by taking away the instilled fear of COVID-unsafe environments.”
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While this is a very reassuring statement, new strains may put a damper in the COVID-19 recovery. Jessica Schladebeck from the Daily News states, “Mutated strains of coronavirus emerging all over the world, most recently in California, have added an extra layer of urgency in the race to inoculate the public against the fast-spreading disease.”
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Schladebeck goes on to explain the goals of health officials: “The shape-shifting COVID-19 has sent officials scrambling to speed up vaccine distribution with the hope that citizens can achieve herd immunity before the virus transforms into something more deadly.”
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Mutations may be impossible to fully handle if it keeps up at a similar rate to the Flu. Herd immunity might be possible soon for the strains we know, but the virus will need to be kept under control in order for that to work.
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The concern of most Americans recently has been when the pandemic will be over. While there is no definitive answer, many are theorizing on the situation that will unfold.
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Erika Edwards from the NBC News quoted Justin Lessler, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public who stated, "I don't think there's a metric that is going to say, 'Oh, it's over.'” This is a situation where COVID might become more similar to how we treat the flu every year.
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"It will become more of an old enemy rather than the scourge it is today," Lessler said.
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With that in mind, Americans should look to continue practicing COVID-19 etiquette, keeping their hopes up that the pandemic will end shortly.
Works Cited
“COVID Data Tracker Weekly Review.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention,
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/covidview/index.html.
“Covid-19 Vaccine: First Person Receives Pfizer Jab in UK.” BBC News, BBC, 8 Dec. 2020,
Edwards, Erika. “When Will It Be over? 3 Key Numbers Scientists Are Watching to Track the
Pandemic.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 18 Mar. 2021,
www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/when-will-it-be-over-3-key-numbers-scientists-are-
“Get the Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical
Education and Research, 23 Mar. 2021, www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-vaccine/art-20484859.
Marques “Commentary: How Do We Conquer Vaccine Skeptics? We Listen.” West Hawaii Today,
21 Mar. 2021,
www.westhawaiitoday.com/2021/03/21/opinion/national-views/commentary-how-do-we-c
onquer-vaccine-skeptics-we-listen/.
Schladebeck, Jessica. “New COVID Strains First Detected in California Officially 'Variants of
Concern,' CDC Says.” Nydailynews.com, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2021,
www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-covid-california-variants-of-concern-cdc-20210317
-u7epzbeirbg4hknki7c6wpdq6q-story.html.
Jacob Cruz Medranda. “Interview with Colin Higham”