U.S. in ‘eye of the hurricane’ as COVID variants spread, expert says

On Sunday, the U.S. surpassed 27 million confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The U.S. still leads the world, by far, in total cases and deaths — with more than 463,000.

According to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 700 cases of coronavirus variants first spotted in the U.K., South Africa and Brazil have been reported in the U.S. so far, including Georgia. Most of those cases, according to the CDC, are the B.1.1.7 strain, which was first detected in the U.K. and has now been spotted in at least 33 states.

“This could be really very dire for our country as we head into the spring,” Hotez told CNN. “Now we’re in a race. We’re in a race to see how quickly we can vaccinate the American people.”

In a letter to President Joe Biden, obtained by The Associated Press on Friday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said many NFL stadiums should be able to get vaccination efforts moving quickly because of previous offers to use stadiums as virus testing centers and election sites.

The seven clubs already using their stadiums as vaccine sites are Arizona, Atlanta, Baltimore, Carolina, Houston, Miami and New England.

Biden took office last month with a goal of vaccinating 100 million people in the first 100 days of his administration, but during a Sunday CBS News interview, he said it’s unlikely the U.S. will reach herd immunity for the coronavirus before the end of the summer due to a shortfall in vaccine availability.

“The idea that this can be done and we can get to herd immunity much before the end of this summer is very difficult,” Biden said.

Herd immunity means enough people become resistant to the disease that its spread becomes unlikely. That provides protection to the entire community, including people who aren’t individually immune, according to Harvard University. It is typically achieved through vaccination.

In the U.S., logistical delays and vaccine shortages have meant only a small fraction of the population has received shots since two different vaccines became available in December.

“Look, it was one thing if we had enough vaccine, which we don’t. So we’re pushing as hard as we can to get more vaccine manufactured,” he said. So far, 40.5 million doses have been administered in the U.S., according to the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker.

Biden also said his administration may take the NFL up on its offer. “I tell my team they’re available and I believe we’ll use them,” Biden said in the interview, which was taped at the White House on Friday.

Biden blamed the Trump administration for leaving the U.S. in a “more dire” situation than expected with vaccine supplies.

“We thought they had indicated there was a lot more vaccine available,” he said. “And that didn’t turn out to be the case. So that’s why we’ve ramped up every way we can.”

Earlier, Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease specialist, said on NBC that the U.S. “could have contracted a little bit more aggressively with the companies to get more doses” at the outset.

Fauci predicted better availability for the shots starting this month.

Biden also said he expects the CDC will provide guidance for reopening schools as early as Wednesday. Teachers’ unions have raised objections to reopening schools in some localities, citing high community transmission and a lack of sufficient precautions taken to prevent spread in classrooms.

“It’s time for schools to reopen safely,” Biden said. “You have to have fewer people in the classroom. You have to have ventilation systems that have been reworked.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.