Covid Cases, Deaths Rise and New Strain Detected in Multiple States

The U.S. has hit more than 25 million covid-19 cases, which is an average of one new infection every 1.2 seconds since January 21st of last year.
Not only did cases rise but the death toll as well. According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 417,000 people have died from covid-19 in the U.S. A coronavirus variant called B.1.1.7, first identified in the United Kingdom, has experts concerned. As of right now, the strain has been detected in at least 22 states, according to the CDC. It’s believed to be more easily transmissible and that the U.S. could see “rapid growth” of its spread early this year. But, the director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins said over the weekend that it’s still too soon to tell if the B.1.1.7 variant is deadlier.
On the vaccine front, 21.8 million doses have been administered across the country, with more than 3.2 million Americans having received both doses. Dr. Fauci has said if Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is authorized for emergency use, the U.S. could see a significant boost in available doses by may. That vaccine only requires one dose, instead of the two. For those that are young and healthy, infectious disease expert Dr. Celine Gounder says we’re looking at mid to late summer gaining access to vaccination.