One aspect of the plan is to offer 500 million COVID tests for free to households across the nation.
On the 1st of December, the Omicron variety was identified at first sight on the mainland of the United States. In just a few months, it has overtaken the Delta variant as the most common COVID-19 variation in the United States. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that the Omicron variant was responsible for 73 percent of all new COVID-19-related infections across the United States last week (CDC). In a statement, the White House released new strategies today to ensure the safety of the public and to ensure that hospitals are not overwhelmed by Omicron cases as a result of the rapid increase in cases.
In a statement released by the Biden Administration The White House’s efforts are aimed at “mitigate the effect that people who are not vaccinated are having on our health care system, and increase the availability of free tests and ensuring that more vaccines are for everyone to keep them in good health, and our economy and schools open.” In a live news announcement, this afternoon President Joseph Biden spoke about the changes in addition.
Hospitals require more assistance.
The White House’s latest strategy is comprised of diverse components, but one of the main objectives is to ensure that hospitals across the nation are equipped with the right personnel, beds, and equipment to deal with the rising amount of Omicron hospitalizations.
This could mean:
- 1,000 troops who have medical expertise will be mobilized into COVID-19 affected hospitals.
- Medical emergency response teams are deployed of the federal government states that are in need
- FEMA response teams will be deployed to help hospitals and states who are overwhelmed and their capacities will be enhanced.
- Increased number of hospital beds which are in dire need
- A plethora of ambulances as well as emergency medical units were dispatched to take patients to bed.
- When states need N95 masks or gloves, gowns, or ventilators, items from the national stockpile are made available.
“Hospitals are under pressure in many parts of the United States,” says William Schaffner, MD, an infectious expert in the field of infectious diseases and a Professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “It’s significantly easier to acquire hospitals with new beds, than for you to staff them. To accomplish so, you’ll require qualified employees. Whatever we do in order to help hospitals in preparing for what’s expected to be a tough winter with COVID and flu is vital.”
More people are now able to get free COVID-19 tests.
COVID-19 testing isn’t easy to find Certain testing facilities have long lines of at-home tests, while in-person tests are often sold out quickly in pharmacies and on the internet. Based on the Administration it is currently more than 20,000 testing centers that are free throughout the United States, with plans to increase the number. The plans include:
- Additionally, there are government testing facilities particularly in highly-demand areas like New York City.
- In Jan, half of a million quick tests for free at home will be made available. (You’ll have to sign online to receive your own.) But, the website is currently in construction.)
- Making use of to use the Defense Production Act and other laws to ensure that the US creates as many tests as is feasible in the shortest time feasible
Access to free testing “will require an amount of time but it’s an excellent idea,” says Dr. Schaffner. “It can provide us with an additional intervention that will aid in managing COVID.”
An effort to immunize the majority of people
There are currently 90,000 locations in the United States where individuals could get COVID-19 vaccines and plans are to expand this:
- An increase in the number of FEMA-run pop-up vaccination clinics throughout the country, especially in areas of high demand.
- Many vaccines from the government are distributed throughout 12 states.
- In allowing pharmacists and pharmacy students to provide a greater variety of vaccines that cross state lines.
- Through the recruitment of additional workers We can help pharmacies to expand their appointments and capacity throughout their networks.
According to CDC statistics, approximately 65% of the US population is vaccinated against COVID-19. According to CDC statistics, less than 32% of those 18 and over have received an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Improved vaccination coverage will definitely help patients who were at a loss or are frustrated,” says Dr. Schaffner. “However there’s an overwhelming number of people who have a hard time getting vaccinations due to more reason than being baked in,” he says. He is of the opinion that expanding the availability of vaccines will not be enough to get people to be vaccinated.
In his address to the people of the United States on December 21 in United States, President Biden offered pleas to those who have not yet been vaccinated in a plea to put the end of vaccination misinformation and stressing that the disease can have more severe consequences for those who aren’t protected.
