Millions traveling despite overflowing hospitals
Vaccines appear to be fueling premature relaxation of public health measures
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Physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals continue pleading with people to stay home and heed public health warnings, as hospitals across the country see continuing increases in patient loads. Columbia University’s Dr. Craig Spencer writes in The Atlantic about why his emergency department is overflowing and what people must do about it.
Not everyone is staying home: Nearly 1.3 million people traveled by air in the USA on Sunday, the sixth day out of the past 10 on which the Transportation Security Administration screened more than 1 million passengers.
The CDC reports that nearly 2 million Americans received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Saturday and about 9.5 million vaccine doses were distributed to states. The federal government aimed to distribute 20 million vaccine doses by December 31.
Recent polls suggest that some who were wary of taking a COVID-19 vaccine are coming around to accept the new vaccines.
NPR Health Correspondent Patti Neighmond did a comprehensive story looking at whether intense sanitization of surfaces prevents COVID-19. The bottom line from experts: focus on ventilation, avoid sharing air with others, and wash hands diligently instead of constant surface cleaning.
The physician who tweeted about President Trump’s motorcade excursion while he was undergoing COVID-19 treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center has been reassigned. On Sunday, he tweeted:
Tjha’s it for today. Please don’t share your air.