Remember Covid-19? Do you know that which has led to the deaths of more than 1. 15 million Americans since the beginning of 2020?And that would possibly have left more than 8 million Americans still suffering from long Covid?Well, fewer and fewer people in the U. S. appear to view severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as a genuine threat, due to low uptake of the latest and most up-to-date Covid-19 vaccine and the effects of a recent KFF survey.
As you know from seeing all those noses, many other people have given up on wearing masks altogether, as if masks were dirty underwear. Fewer and fewer corporations seem to be maintaining any kind of Covid-19 precautions, such as using air purifiers or even keeping hand sanitizer dispensers stocked. And only 5. 4% of children, 14. 8% of all adults over 18 and 31. 7% of adults over 65 have received the most recent Covid-19 vaccine circular, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). November 17.
Why have updated vaccine numbers been so low?Well, the KFF survey found that more than a portion of adults who had already been vaccinated against Covid-19 but hadn’t received the latest “updated” Covid-19 vaccine, indicated, guess what, not being worried about Covid-19 as the main explanation why I didn’t get the most recent photo in the last few months.
No matter how some try to describe it, the updated vaccine rollout this fall has been far from a resounding success. The updated vaccine targets XBB. 1. 5, the Omicron subvariant of SARS-CoV-2, which looks like a bite and is the subvariant that was the dominant subvariant in circulation until early 2023. So this updated vaccine especially deserves to offer greater coverage against the virus. alphabet soup of subvariants that have been circulating recently, such as EG. 5 and BA. 2. 86. In addition, the coverage presented through the Covid-19 vaccine begins to decline between 4 and six months after vaccination. Therefore, you can visualize getting the updated vaccine much like updating your smartphone software. Whether you were last vaccinated in early 2023 or earlier, it’s unclear how you’ve been opposing Covid-19 lately.
However, interest in the Covid-19 vaccine has dropped like a rock in a hot tub since 2020 and 2021. The percentages of Americans who have received the updated vaccine are well below the 69. 5% of all Americans and of 79. 1% of Americans. adults who have been “fully vaccinated,” meaning they have received their first set of Covid-19 vaccines. Heck, the updated vaccination rates are still lower than existing flu vaccination rates, at 35. 1% of children, 36. 3% of all adults. , and 59. 5% of adults age 65 and older have already gotten a flu vaccine this season. Therefore, the low uptake of the updated Covid-19 vaccine is possibly more due to a belief factor in Covid-19 than a general belief about the vaccine. factor.
In fact, this lacheck KFF Covid-19 survey, which surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,301 American adults by phone or web from October 31 to November 7, 2023, gave a positive reaction to Covid-19. . Although Covid-19 outbreaks have occurred in the last 3 holiday periods, only 31% of respondents were worried about transmitting Covid-19 to others and only 28% were worried about becoming seriously ill from Covid-19. 19. About a portion of respondents indicated they would not take any of the Covid-19 precautions indexed in the survey questions. Only 35% planned giant gatherings, only 30% planned to wear a mask in crowded places and only 18% planned to take a Covid-19 test. Check it before visiting friends or family. Keep this in mind when sharing fruitcake with your extended circle of family and friends at your next holiday gathering.
Are all those low numbers so unexpected given that so many politicians and business leaders have likely been looking to sweep SARS-CoV-2 under the rug since 2021? People have become very politicized about Covid-19 and Covid-19 precautions, which would possibly have made politicians a little cautious about taking a more complicated stance on Covid-19 prevention. COVID-19. There has been no transparent messaging from the White House and the federal government about what express Covid-19 precautions are worth taking this fall and next winter. This lack of clarity can lead many other people to guess and rely more on the bleeps that may spread on social media, which can be like relying on what’s written on the toilet to make career, romantic, and life decisions. life. Additionally, without a more comprehensive national surveillance system, it is increasingly difficult to track SARS-CoV-2 activity and know where and when others are at greatest risk of contracting the virus. So the United States turns out to be a bit blind about what measures to take against Covid-19 in the future.
As the hashtag #Covidisnotover on social media has continually pointed out, Covid is not over. Of course, it’s not the same risk as it was in 2020. But contracting Covid-19 today is no joke. Even if you’ve been vaccinated, you may have up to long Covid and more severe Covid-19, although this is an increasingly unlikely option as you’re up to date on vaccination. All indications are that SARS-CoV-2 will continue to circulate. Viruses don’t respond to that gibberish of life training that says “if you do it, it will happen” or “mind before matter” or “fake it till you make it. “That doesn’t mean you have to live worrying about the virus and not do what you need to do for a living. This means that there wants to be a clearer national plan on how to combat SARS-CoV-2, now and in the future.