The coronavirus pandemic has changed daily life in the United States, as SARS-CoV-2, the virus that spreads the disease, caused an increase in infections across the country. After more than a year of adhering to strict guidelines, many Americans were vaccinated and began to resume a more normal life. However, many more remain at risk until vaccinated, and experts continue to track the emergence of variants of the virus that could pose new threats. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that there are more than 519.5 million confirmed cases of people with COVID-19 worldwide and more than 6.2 million people have died from the disease.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that there are more than 81.5 million confirmed and probable cases and more than 994,000 deaths are estimated. The CDC also reports that 82.6 percent of adults and children 5 and older in the U. S. have received at least one vaccine and 70.4% of people in the same age group are fully vaccinated.
COVID-19 has also caused serious illness and even death in young and middle-aged adults who are otherwise healthy. While most children have mild symptoms or no symptoms, some have become seriously ill. As with adults, even if children don't have symptoms, they can transmit the virus to other people. So how does COVID-19 spread? The virus is transmitted mainly through viral particles that float in the air or through droplets that contain viruses.
Contact with droplets from coughing or sneezing from an infected person is one way it can spread rapidly. In addition, droplets can fall on surfaces and people can contract the virus by touching those surfaces, although this is not believed to be the main way of spreading COVID-19. The more closely you interact with others and the longer that interaction, the greater the risk of spreading COVID-19, and indoor spaces are more risky than outdoor spaces. Near the start of the pandemic, public health experts directed their efforts to flatten the curve by reducing the number of patients during a certain period so hospitals would be better able to handle demands for care from those who are sick with COVID-19 and other diseases. Vaccination remains a key strategy to avoid infection.
All adults are eligible to be vaccinated, as well as adolescents and children as young as 5 years old, to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. While there are three vaccines available, CDC expresses preference for Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines. It also says that all eligible people should receive a booster shot five months after completing a primary series of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, or two months after the single injection of J&J, people 12 and older who are immunocompromised and adults over 50 should also receive a second vaccine from buttress. Children 5 and older should receive the Pfizer-BioNTech booster; anyone over 18 can choose any of the three vaccines, regardless of which vaccine was vaccinated first. You should see your healthcare provider if you experience symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat or new loss of taste or smell, especially if you have been in close contact with a person who is known to have COVID-19 or lives in an area with continuous spread of the disease. Common Disinfectants Kill COVID-19 on Surfaces.
Even people who are infected but don't have symptoms, or who haven't yet developed them, can infect other people. Masks reduce the amount of virus we breathe in and out. In combination with vaccines and boosters, masks provide a double blow against COVID-19 transmission. It's important to rely only on information from reputable organizations and health sources such as CDC and WHO for up-to-date information about COVID-19 prevention measures.
