Health
CDC director on pandemic’s end date: “It depends on human behavior”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- The coronavirus pandemic is into its 20th month, and some health experts believe the U.S. could be in its last major surge.
- But the U.S. only has about a 55% vaccination rate, and the delta variant is far more transmissible than any other variant.
- CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says pandemic’s end date in the country depends on one major thing: “human behavior.”
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky cannot predict when the pandemic will end, saying it largely depends on human behavior — and that might be a problem.
As the Covid-19 pandemic stretches into its 20th month, cases in the U.S. have begun to decline after a wave of delta infections peaked at more than 172,000 a day in mid-September. Some medical experts predict we could be in the virus’ last major surge, but when it ends is anybody’s guess.
“We have a lot of the science right now; we have vaccines,” Walensky told reporters Thursday in a session organized by the Health Coverage Fellowship, a health journalism program.
“What we can’t really predict is human behavior. And human behavior in this pandemic hasn’t served us very well,” the CDC chief said.
With only about 55% of the U.S. population fully vaccinated and some additional protection among people who have been recently infected, there is not enough immunity to fight off the more contagious delta variant, the infectious diseases expert warned.
“With the delta variant, the R-naught is 8 or 9,” Walensky said. R-naught, or the basic reproduction number, signifies the average number of people to whom an infected person will spread the virus. “That means we need a lot of protection in the community to not have disease.”
And the problem is, she continued, some communities have high vaccination rates and are very well protected, but “there are pockets of places that have very little protection.”
“And the virus isn’t stupid — it’s going to go there,” Walensky said. “So really what your question depends on is how well we coalesce together as a humanity and a community to do the things that we need to do in those communities to get ourselves protected.”
But so far, “we are battling with one another and not battling with the common foe, which is the virus itself,” Walensky said.
Source: CNBC
MARLENE JONES
October 10, 2021 at 9:07 am
no one in their right mind trusts the CDC or Fake Fauci right now and they clearly should not!
Iknow
October 10, 2021 at 9:16 am
CDC (Center Democrat Control) will be sure to maintain their grip on the nation through the midterm elections.
Imre
October 10, 2021 at 2:39 pm
You got that right! Fauci should have been fired last year.
Tom
October 10, 2021 at 9:29 am
“CDC is the Center for Democratic Control. No one in their right mind would trust the CDC.” Comments like this are stupid and irresponsible. Behaviors like this are the reason we cannot beat this virus. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is exactly correct!!! Stop fighting the CDC and start fighting the virus!! Get the vaccine!
Dave
October 10, 2021 at 9:31 am
As I have been saying for years now…”if these air-borne virus’s (flu’s) are so deadly then where are all the dead birds?”…small game also.
Your body is the greatest healer in the world. More so then medical doctors and POLITICIANS !!!
It’s all been concocted between China and the Communist Democrats because they lost the election to Trump and did not get their Global Government.
PS: NO ONE HAS ANSWERED THIS QUESTION INCLUDING THE CDC, FAUCI, ETC:
Ceemee
October 10, 2021 at 2:14 pm
I agree with you 100%. I had covid and stayed home doing all the right things I would have done for the flu. It was a hard couple of weeks but it was worth it refusing to go to the E.R. Though I’m 87, I exercise consistently, take vitamins and minerals and eat good food in moderation.
Rat Wrangler
October 10, 2021 at 9:41 am
From this article, Dr. Walensky said “And the virus isn’t stupid — it’s going to go there.” Was she using her co-workers as a baseline to compare the intelligence of a virus? While viruses have been known for their tenacity and efficiency, they have never been known for intelligence. On the other hand, the CDC is not presently known for its tenacity and efficiency, so maybe it averages out.
Dog Walker
October 10, 2021 at 2:47 pm
Well “Rochelle” had already Proven herself as DIRTY, so Why listen to Anything this Hag has to blubber, especially coming from the Death Squad at the POS CDC ????