The mutations have complicated and likely extended the timeline for crushing the pandemic (File)
The road to herd immunity from the coronavirus suddenly looks longer. The emergence of more transmissible, potentially vaccine-evading variants threatens to extend the global health disaster and make 2021 feel too much like 2020. A complicated mix of good news and bad news makes any forecast for the coming months fuzzy, but scientists have one clear and sobering message: The pandemic is a long way from over.
The mutation-laden variants are on the move, and that includes one first identified in South Africa and confirmed in a Baltimore-area adult, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, said Saturday. It was the third known case in the United States of the variant, following two cases announced Thursday in South Carolina. The person in Maryland had no travel history, which is evidence of community transmission.
2021-01-30 18:35:41 GMT2021-01-31 02:35:41(Beijing Time) Xinhua English
A man wearing a face mask visits the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the United States, Jan. 24, 2021. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua)
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) An influential COVID-19 model has predicted a possible spring spike in coronavirus deaths in the United States if emerging variants rapidly spread and people let down their guard against the virus.
In its latest forecast, the University of Washington s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimates the B.1.351 variant first detected in South Africa and identified in the United States this week could drive the country s COVID-19 death toll up to 654,000 by May 1 in a worst-case scenario if mobility returns to pre-pandemic levels.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) An influential COVID-19 model has predicted a possible spring spike in coronavirus deaths in the United States if emerging variants rapidly spread and people let down their guard against the virus. In its latest forecast, the University of Washington s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimates the B.1.351 variant first detected in South Africa and identified in the United States this week could drive the country s COVID-19 death toll up to 654,000 by May 1 in a worst-case scenario if mobility returns to pre-pandemic levels. A resurgence of the virus could also occur in the spring in California and Florida, according to the forecast.
With 5,028 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizonaâs confirmed novel coronavirus cases surpassed closed in on 750,000 as of Friday, Jan. 29, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County, which reported 698 new cases today, clearing the six-figure threshold, having seen 100,272 of the stateâs 748,260 confirmed cases.
A total of 13,022 Arizonans have died after contracting COVID-19, including 1,736 deaths in Pima County, according to the Jan. 29 report.
The number of hospitalized COVID cases statewide has declined in recent weeks after peaking at 5,082 on Jan. 11 but remains above the peak levels of the summerâs first wave. ADHS reported that as of Jan. 28, 3,970 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state. The summer peak of 3,517 hospitalized COVID patients was set on July 13; that number hit a subsequent low of 468 on Sept. 27.