Is the end of the COVID pandemic on the way? Fauci urges Americans to ‘hang in there’

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on the federal coronavirus response on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 18, 2021. SUSAN WALSH AP

Millions of Americans are getting vaccinated against COVID-19 every day. Experts agree it’s the nation’s best strategy to overcome the pandemic. And it’s working.

Infections, hospitalizations and deaths are plummeting among adults age 65 and older who were prioritized for vaccination beginning in late December. A recent report shows that new COVID-19 cases among nursing home residents have dropped by 96% since the end of last year.

However, younger, unvaccinated people are bending downward more encouraging trends into upward more concerning ones, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday during a White House COVID-19 briefing.

In Michigan, for example, COVID-19 hospitalizations for people in their 30s has jumped 633% since March; for people in their 40s, admissions rose by 800%. A medical center in New Jersey saw an 18% decrease in admissions of patients 70 or older and an increase of 10% among 40 to 59 year olds from January to March.

Walensky noted that older adults who have not been vaccinated also continue to be hospitalized. “We’re still hearing stories of, ‘You know, I got my vaccine yesterday, and today I have COVID.’”

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