The COVID-19 pandemic is the most serious healthcare crisis in recent years, so it comes as no surprise that many people in the US and abroad are still losing the battle with the virus that is spreading this disease. However, with vaccines now highly available across the country, many are left wondering just how Americans have lost their lives to COVID-19 this fall, and why these lives are still lost when vaccines and treatments are now so readily available. With concerns about new variants of the virus also rising, the answers to all these questions may be more complicated than people would expect.
According to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis, COVID-19 became the leading cause of death in the US in December 2020, and it remained so at the start of 2021. However, the vaccines were soon to become widely available, which meant the number of deaths of COVID-19 among Americans was also supposed to drop. And they did. In July 2021, COVID-19 was barely the number 7 leading cause of death in the US. But come fall, and all that is about to change. The vaccination would soon prove insufficient to handle the growing number of cases resulting from the more infectious COVID-19 Delta variant.
As policy-makers eased restrictions across America, the number of cases started to grow—and so did the number of deaths. In September, COVID-19 became the second leading cause of death for Americans and even the top cause for those aged 35 to 54.
Why Are So Many Americans Still Dying of COVID-19?
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world, people everywhere put their hopes in future vaccines and cures. During lockdowns, many were hoping medical breakthroughs would soon provide them with a chance to return to their normal lives. However, once the vaccines became available, some also started to question their effectiveness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaccination defends people from becoming ill or severely ill with COVID-19, and it can also help them protect those around them. Vaccines are effective at preventing COVID-19, and they work even better in preventing severe disease, hospitalization, and death.
In fact, the Kaiser Family Foundation report suggests that as many as 90,000 deaths could have been prevented over the past three months if the people in question had been vaccinated. However, according to the CDC, as of October 17, just 57% of the total US population was fully vaccinated.
The Real Risk of Dying From COVID-19
The CDC has also released data showing that, throughout August, the risk of dying from COVID-19 was 11 times higher for unvaccinated Americans than for fully vaccinated adults. Furthermore, the CDC analysis shows that unvaccinated people have a six times higher chance of testing positive for COVID-19 than those who are fully vaccinated. While the nation’s health protection agency does mention that some people who are fully vaccinated will probably still get COVID-19, it also goes on to say that vaccination is now the best method available to slow the spread of the pandemic and to prevent infection. According to CNN, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky warned Americans that there are still groups of unvaccinated people in the US and that they are probably the next target of the virus.
Although the number of new cases is currently declining, the future doesn’t seem as bright as people would have hoped. With vaccine immunity waning and just 5.5% of the total US population having received a booster shot, time may prove to be an enemy in the fight against COVID-19.
Preparing for the Holiday Season
With the holiday season just around the corner, the vaccination campaign might soon prove to be insufficient to ward off the disease. That is why the CDC also issued a new guideline with suggestions on how people could celebrate the holidays in a much safer way. Americans are advised to wear masks when in public indoors, avoid crowded, poorly ventilated spaces, and get tested if they come in contact with someone who has COVID-19. However, as getting the vaccine is recommended by the CDC as the best method to slow the spread of the virus and to prevent hospitalization, it might also be the best decision to make before the holidays.
