Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : February 7, 2021 7:10 PM IST
Increasing mask use from current levels of 77 per cent to 95 per cent can save thousands of lives.
The United States has the largest number of Covid-19 cases in the world, followed by India and Brazil. Over 26 million people in the US have been infected by the novel coronavirus, as compared to more than 10 million and nine million in India and Brazil respectively. The US also records the highest Covid-19 fatalities in the world. As of Sunday evening, the country's death toll stood at 452,186, according to the World Health Organisation. While Covid-19 cases are declining across the US, experts fear that more contagious coronavirus strains may lead to a resurgence.
According to the latest forecast from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, the country's Covid-19 death toll is estimated to reach 631,000 by June 1. In the worst-case scenario, the figure could go as high as 703,000, their coronavirus model predicted. However, the experts noted that the result may depend on the vaccine rollout and the spread of variants.
The US has witnessed more than 100,000 deaths due to the novel coronavirus since January 1, 2021, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
However, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicted that the country's Covid-19 deaths will decrease over the next four weeks.
According to the CDC data, the country currently witnesses more than 124,000 daily cases and over 3,200 single-day deaths. It predicted a total of 496,000 to 534,000 Covid-19 deaths by February 27.
The University of Washington's coronavirus model suggested that increasing mask use from current levels of 77 per cent to 95 per cent can save 44,000 lives by June 1.
Several studies have highlighted the benefits of wearing masks in reducing transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. But as Covid-19 vaccination begins in many countries, there's a misconception among people that they can stop wearing masks after getting the shot.
People are eager to rid of masks. But health experts say we can't do so yet. Here are some reasons why we still need to wear masks even when vaccines are available.
It may take months for everyone to get vaccinated. Even if you have received the vaccine, there may be still may people who haven't been vaccinated.
Some vaccines may require more than one shot to provide maximum protection. This means you will still need to protect yourself even after receiving the first shot.
It is also not clear as to how vaccine protection will last. A booster shot beyond the initial vaccination schedule may be needed to maintain long-term protection.
With the emerging new Covid-19 strains, there is also concerns that people may become re-infected and the mutants mat reduce the current efficacy of the current vaccines.
Meanwhile, Covid-19 deaths in India has dropped to 1.43%. On Sunday, the country recorded just 78 deaths related to Covid-19, taking the over death toll to 1,54,996, according to the Health Ministry. As of Sunday, 57,75,322 people have been vaccinated against the virus in India.
With inputs from IANS
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