Coronavirus latest: Experts worry over rising US positivity as New York rate doubles in a month


New York state is recording double the positivity rates for Covid-19 compared with a month ago, as health experts at the weekend raised concerns over a new rise in infections.

The state reported another 661 cases on Saturday as the seven-day average positivity rate reached 0.79 per cent, nearly twice the record low of 0.4 per cent set last month.

“The positivity is rising due to an increase in the number of infections likely occurring among unvaccinated individuals,” Wafaa El-Sadr, an epidemiologist at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, told the Financial Times. “Positivity is higher in communities with lower vaccine uptake.”

See also  How would rising Covid cases impact your equity investments?

Positivity rates in New York City and heavily populated Long Island already exceed 1 per cent. However, hospital admissions had nearly halved over the same period.

El-Sadr said the rate is likely to continue given the new variants circulating, “especially those that are more transmissible and if there is no further uptake of vaccinations and as less restrictions are in place in terms of limits on gathering size and easing of masking recommendations”.

Restrictions on the size of gatherings have been eased © Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

Some health authorities have played down the rising rate. Dave Chokshi, New York city health commissioner, said last week that positivity is no longer a critical metric.

But other medical experts disagree. “It is important as it tells us where transmission is happening and where there is the need to situate more testing services and also where more efforts need to continue to increase vaccination uptake,” said El-Sadr.

“With more vaccination there will be less infections and also less severe disease requiring hospitalisations and fewer deaths among those with Covid-19,” she added.

See also  Worst day in over a month for FTSE 100; retail sales data disappoints

According to Johns Hopkins University research, areas of the US with low vaccination rates should prepare for a surge of infections. Localised hotspots are emerging, especially in the South, Midwest and West. 

Rates have risen over the past two weeks in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming. 

“I think we should brace ourselves to see case increases, particularly in unvaccinated populations,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

See also  Billionaire Richard Branson flying own rocket to space



Source link

Latest

People won’t tolerate self-centred politics: Uddhav’s veiled message to Cong leaders

In a veiled swipe at local Congress leaders, Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said on Saturday that people would...

Fire Prevention Plan: Definition, Scope, Importance

If there is one event that does not only affect various properties and businesses negatively but can also cause grave risks to the lives of the people, that would be any incidents related to fire. This is one hazardou

After EU, Britain and U.S. reach truce in aircraft trade dispute

Breadcrumb Trail Links PMN Business Author of the article: Reuters Alistair Smout and...

Who Has the Power to Break Up Big Tech?

The Big Five tech companies — Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Google owner Alphabet — have come under serious scrutiny in the past...

Texas Democrats block proposed law that would restrict voting rights

Texas Democrats blocked a final vote on a proposed law that would tighten voting restrictions in the US’s second most-populous state, after staging...