‘More than 90%’ of people in US still susceptible to COVID-19, Redfield says
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CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, MD, said surveillance shows that most people in the United States remain susceptible to COVID-19.
“CDC is in the process of a very large sequential study across the entire United States measuring serology,” Redfield told the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions. “The preliminary results of the first round show that a majority of our nation — more than 90% of the population — remains susceptible.”
The CDC has been working with state and local officials to determine how many people have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and how the virus spreads throughout the population.
Data from the CDC’s serology surveillance testing — which will give a picture of how many people have been infected — are expected to be published in the “next week or so,” Redfield said.
Since the peak of the pandemic on July 24, Redfield said the country has experienced a nearly 50% reduction in daily cases and a nearly 32% reduction in deaths, but that does not mean people should let their guard down.
“Over [the] last week, we had an average of over 40,000 cases and nearly 800 daily deaths,” he said.
Redfield said there has been a shift in the demographics of patients, with people aged between 18 and 25 years making up more than 26% of new infections — more than any other age group.
“It is imperative that these young adults recognize that even though they are unlikely to get seriously ill from this virus, they are major contributors to the spread of COVID-19 in our country at this time,” Redfield said.
Redfield also encouraged all Americans to get an influenza vaccination. He said the CDC has purchased millions of additional doses.
When combined with tactics such as social distancing, mask use and hand hygiene, Redfield said influenza vaccination “could help our nation avert a very difficult fall and lessen the burden on our health care system and save lives.”
References:
- CDC. COVID-19 Serology Surveillance Strategy. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/serology-surveillance/index.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2020.
- United States Senate. COVID-19: An Update on the Federal Response. https://www.help.senate.gov/. Accessed Sept. 23, 2020.
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United States Senate. COVID-19: An Update on the Federal Response. https://www.help.senate.gov/. Accessed Sept. 23, 2020.
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