WASHINGTON D.C. – Here we go again?
Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, spoke before the Senate Health, Education,
Labor and Pensions Committee on Tuesday about what could be a new ‘problem’.
He said that there is a developing pig virus,
known as “G4 EA H1N1” in China that shares similar traits with the 2009 Swine
Flu and 1918 Pandemic Flu. The U.S. public health officials are apparently
monitoring the disease.
At this time it looks like it does not infect
humans but he says it has shown ‘reassortment capabilities’.
According to CNBCTV, scientists are
concerned this new strain is spreading in pig farms in China and appears to
have all the necessary trademarks of a pandemic virus.
“The new swine flu found in China hasn’t been
show to infect humans, but it’s demonstrating reassortment, which could cause
spread. Not an ‘immediate threat’ but you always have the possibility that you
might have another swine flu-type outbreak.”
He added that “a brand of new virus that turns
out to be a pandemic virus it’s either due to mutations and/or the reassortment
or exchanges of genes.
Dr. Fauci also expressed a great concern
regarding the surge in the Chinese COVID-19 cases these past couple of weeks.
He blamed states for reopening too soon and some American not adhering to
guidelines that help stop the spread of the virus. He commented:
“We have got to get that message out that we
are all in this together. If we are going to contain this, we’ve got to contain
it together.” Dr. Fauci warned that “new cases could
reach 100,000 per day if the trend isn’t averted.”
The federal and state officials blamed the
increase in the COVID-19 spread on the younger generation, the millennials and
the ‘Generation Zs’. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers of Disease
Control and Prevention commented:
“I ask those that are listening to spread the
word, urging younger people to embrace the universal use of face coverings.”
CTV NEWS confirms that the pig virus is
potentially harmful but at this point not an imminent threat but something we
need to keep an eye on.
In a report by Salon.com, it was reported that
veterinarians, farmers, and zookeepers could help prevent the spread of another
pandemic. Paul Calle was quoted by salon.com as saying:
“People and animals and the environment are
all closely linked and influence what happens to each other.”
Paul Calle is the head veterinarian at
the New York City Zoo who
is monitoring all the animals very closely.
Salon.com also reported that that more animal surveillance could
help detect new diseases sooner and stop the spread to humans.
Vice President of the National Association of
Federal Veterinarians commented, “we should be aiming to identify diseases in
other animals as early as possible, when there’s still a chance of preventing
them from spreading to humans.”
USA Today reported that hospitalizations have
risen in 12 states, in Arizona deadly deaths have increased and about 130
counties are considered ‘hot spots.’
USA Today also
reported that Dr. Fauci told a Senate committee on Tuesday the many states
eased restrictions prior to meeting standards proposed for a safe reopening and
warned that daily cases could increase more than just double.
USA Today reported that John Hopkins
University data showed the number of cases confirmed globally was nearly 10.4
million with the death toll being more than 509,700.
In the U.S. alone there are more than 2.6
million cases and over 127,300 deaths. Many states are tightening restrictions
again due to the surge in cases over the past few weeks. It is reported
that that Food and Drug Administration might feel pressure from the White House to
approve a COVID-19 vaccine very soon.
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