The COVID-19 epidemic in the United States has spread rapidly, and the scope of the spread is getting wider and wider. In an interview with CCTV, American epidemiologist Dennis Carroll pointed out that the reasons for the continuous deterioration of the epidemic in the United States are multiple, and more difficult days are yet to come.
American epidemiologist: More difficult days are yet to come
Carroll said that the current high number of new confirmed cases in the United States in a single day is not only related to the cold weather, but also has a lot to do with people’s fatigue in the long-term epidemic.
Many Americans have developed resistance to daily protective measures. What’s more unfortunate is that in the United States, epidemic prevention measures such as wearing masks have even been “politicized” by the federal government of the United States.
Dennis Carroll, American epidemiologist: We have seen that from the federal government and the White House to state leaders, public health measures such as wearing masks have been politicized, which is completely beyond my understanding. I don’t understand why they regard this as a political issue. We all know that wearing masks is an extremely valuable public health measure, and it can indeed save lives.
Carroll said that although the number of new confirmed cases in the United States is already “swaying” at 1 million in six days, this is only the beginning, and more difficult days are yet to come.
Dennis Carroll, American epidemiologist: The weather will get colder and colder. The peak spread of respiratory viruses such as influenza virus is actually in December and January, so we are now at the beginning of the respiratory virus transmission season, and the next few months will be very challenging.
On the coronavirus vaccine, Carroll said that it is good to have a vaccine, but how to “distribute it safely and quickly so that the public can be vaccinated as soon as possible” is a problem.
Dennis Carroll, American epidemiologist: We see that these vaccines have various requirements for storage, processing and transportation. Providing them to the public and distributing them to each community will be a very complex process and require an extraordinary level of planning and coordination, so we also face huge challenges. In a way, producing vaccines is a relatively easy part, and a more complicated part of how people can be vaccinated.
U.S. governors fight against the epidemic in South Dakota
South Dakota is currently one of the most severe COVID-19 states in the United States. South Dakota continues to see a surge in cases, with a positive rate of more than 50% of COVID-19 testing, ranking first in the United States, CNN reported. However, in this situation, the governor of South Dakota still does not require any epidemic prevention measures in the state, and medical staff in the local hospital are extremely worried about this.
In a hospital in Lapid City, South Dakota, the intensive care unit dedicated to COVID-19 patients is overcrowded. At the end of July this year, the hospital had only five patients with COVID-19, but now it has increased to 85. The South Dakota outbreak “has no signs of improvement and it could be worse next,” which has left them extremely worried and even broken down, medical workers said.
Shankar Kura, Vice President of Lapid City Hospital: It is true that I am very worried about the situation in South Dakota, my neighbors and my family, and also about myself.
Assistant Nurse at Lapid City Hospital Schumann: It’s too difficult. I cry many days when I get home.
In the face of the fierce epidemic, South Dakota Governor Christy Nome still ignored the call of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, insisting that “state residents will not be prevented from gathering to celebrate the upcoming holiday”. In fact, Noem has refused to cooperate with the epidemic prevention measures proposed by public health experts since the early days of the epidemic: She refused to impose “stay-at-home orders” and other restrictions in South Dakota, refused to issue “mandatory mask wearing orders” and even questioned the need to wear masks… The governor’s attitude to downplay the epidemic made Some people in South Dakota still don’t believe in the existence of COVID-19.
COVID-19 patients who are being treated in hospitals called on government officials to listen to experts and actively respond to the epidemic.
COVID-19 patients at Lapid City Hospital: From the federal government to the state government, the response to the COVID-19 epidemic has failed. Obviously, they have not dealt with it well. They should listen to experts.
News Watch: Life is passing, but little change
The New York Times pointed out that the chaos in the United States’ response to the COVID-19 epidemic is not only reflected in differences between parties, the federal government and states, but also in the division of cultural concepts among the people in society. As cases soar, so are the numbers of deaths from COVID-19, and behind these cold numbers are the departure of life and the grief and heartbreak of countless families.
Chief Medical Officer of Odessa Regional Medical Center Saravanan: Last week, ten of our patients died, one of whom took a month’s ventilator.
Texas resident Bonnie Soria Najella: My phone rang, and their doctor said that your father’s heart stopped beating.
Salt Lake City, Utah resident Lindsay Wooten: It’s frustrating that people don’t think it’s the flu. Because it’s not like this for some people, for some people, COVID-19 has put their lives on the virus taking my mother away and no one can replace her.
However, the continued rise in the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths has not attracted enough attention from some Americans. The advice of pandemic experts on wearing masks and social distancing is also not recognized by some American public. A 13,000-member cathedral in Oklahoma, which has high-profilely announced on social media that it will host large holiday dinners, calling on people in the parish to share meals and bring their neighbors with them, according to Newsweek.
Melissa, owner of American flower and household goods store Melissa: I have no right to tell others what they can do and can’t do. Obviously, everyone wants peace and security. It’s polite. But the decision (to wear a mask or not) is up to the customer himself.
In the face of an out-of-control epidemic, the federal government of the United States and some state governments cannot keep pace, and there is a huge difference over some scientific epidemic prevention measures. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced a series of new regulations on the 15th, including the suspension of offline teaching in high schools and universities from the 18th, and the closure of indoor dining places such as restaurants. This epidemic prevention and control measure has been strongly opposed by Atlas, the White House’s coronavirus adviser. He even encouraged people to “stand up” against these restrictions. CNN host Chris Cuomo angrily criticized Atlas for being crazy on the show.
CNN host Chris Cuomo: Are you crazy? It’s shameless! What kind of experts will tell people to stand up and resist, and what happens to this person who can help people fight the epidemic.
Although experts, scholars and medical staff have repeatedly stressed the importance of wearing masks, the issue of whether to wear masks is still controversial in the United States, and there have been many disputes between the two parties in the United States on this issue. At a November 16 meeting of the U.S. Senate, Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown and Republican Senator Dan Sullivan argued over wearing masks.
The Washington Post said that since the beginning of the pandemic, some public health officials and politicians in the United States had hoped that the terrible lethality of the novel coronavirus might unite the whole country to fight the spread of the virus, but the deep political and cultural divisions of the whole country have taken the United States on a different path, and the people are He is dying, but the country has changed little.
