U.S. Situation: Expert says the country needs to hold on for 2-3 months

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Tue, 2021-03-02 09:50 — mike kraft

US needs to hold on for another 2 or 3 months without easing up on Covid-19 measures, expert says. Here's what's at stake Americans have received some good news lately about the coronavirus. But that doesn't mean we're in the clear yet, experts warn. Christina Maxouris, CNN CNN

(CNN)Americans have received some good news lately about the coronavirus. But that doesn't mean we're in the clear yet, experts warn.

A third Covid-19 vaccine -- Johnson & Johnson's single shot -- has been authorized for emergency use and is now on its way to states across the country.

And for several weeks, Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations were trending downward, with several local and state leaders reporting some of the lowest numbers they've seen in months.

In California, Los Angeles County health officials announced the daily test positivity rate is the lowest it's ever been. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said last week that Covid-19 hospitalizations had dropped to the lowest levels since December 12. And West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice announced Monday that for the first time since November the state had gone a full day without reporting a virus-related death.

Despite the progress, Covid-19 numbers in the US are still alarmingly high. And they could quickly climb even higher if Americans let up now, one expert told CNN on Monday.

"We should not ease up, allow indoor dining, big groups ... getting rid of mask mandates. We have to hold on for another two or three months in this condition," said Dr. Zeke Emanuel, who was a health adviser for the Obama White House and was a member of the Biden Transition Covid-19 Advisory Board. "We're still having on average 2,000 deaths a day. We cannot become inured to that."

If Americans relax too early, Covid-19 numbers are "going to reverse and go up," he added.

concerning trend has already begun.

While the number of Covid-19 cases saw a weeks-long steep decline, the most recent seven-day average of new cases shows an increase of just over 2% compared to the prior seven days, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Monday. About the same increase was reported in the most recent seven-day average of deaths, she added. ...

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