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U.S. monkeypox outbreak is slowing, CDC director says

U.S. monkeypox outbreak is slowing, CDC director says

Monkeypox continues to spread across the United States, but the pace of new cases has slowed in recent weeks, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told lawmakers on Wednesday.

While the virus is still spreading rapidly in certain regions of the U.S., the rise in new monkeypox cases across the country and globally has slowed in recent weeks, she told the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Wednesday.

“We approach this news with cautious optimism,” she said at a hearing.

The US is working to contain the world’s largest monkeypox outbreak, with more than 22,600 cases in all 50 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico, according to CDC data.

The disease is rarely fatal but causes painful lesions that resemble pimples or blisters. According to Walensky, there has been one confirmed death in the United States as a result of the disease.

The Jynneos vaccine, manufactured by Danish biotech company Bavarian Nordic, is the only approved monkeypox vaccine in the United States. Two doses are given 28 days apart, and CDC officials say getting the second shot is crucial for those at risk. After the second dose, it takes two weeks for the immune system to reach its maximum response.

People with monkeypox should stay home until the rash has healed and a new layer of skin has formed, maintain a safe distance from other people, and not share objects or materials with others, CDC guidelines say.

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Map reveals newest outbreak in mainland China as delta instances rise

Map shows latest outbreak in mainland China as delta cases rise

In recent weeks, new pockets of Covid-19 cases have surfaced in parts of mainland China as the highly contagious Delta variant spreads across the country.

So far this month, locally transmitted cases reported in mainland China have risen to 878 – more than double the 390 cases recorded for the entire month of July, according to the CNBC daily statistics from China’s National Health Commission.

To be clear, the number of reported infections is much lower in China than many countries – including the US, where an average of about 100,000 new cases a day, and Southeast Asia, where daily cases have risen sharply.

Still, Chinese authorities have imposed targeted bans, tightened movement controls and ordered mass tests to curb the recent resurgence in Covid cases.

Impact on China’s Economy

Economists have raised concerns about China’s zero tolerance for Covid. The government has insisted on stamping out any flare-ups in Covid cases, even as many countries around the world – including the UK and Singapore – have started to accept that the virus will never go away.

The recent resurgence of Covid cases in China is due to the fact that some economic growth engines continue to lose momentum while domestic consumption struggles to fully recover, HSBC economists said in a report on Wednesday.

The economists found that the number of new infections reported in China is the highest since an outbreak in northern China in December 2020.

“As a result, many provinces and cities have tightened social distancing restrictions and bans on travel between cities and provinces,” the report said.

“These measures will inevitably weigh on growth, especially domestic consumption, which has not yet seen a full recovery to pre-pandemic levels,” the analysts said.

HSBC said mounting economic pressures could lead Beijing to adopt “more supportive” fiscal policies. This could include major infrastructure spending and tax cuts for small and medium-sized businesses, the bank said.

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David Roche on China Covid outbreak hitting progress, markets

David Roche on China Covid outbreak hitting growth, markets

Medical personnel work on the sixth round of covid-19 test since late July in Nanjing in east China’s Jiangsu province on Sunday, August 08, 2021.

Feature China | Barcroft Media | Getty Images

China has tightened Covid-19 measures to combat an uptick in daily cases — a move that could hold back the country’s economic growth and hit its stock markets, said veteran strategist David Roche.

Investor sentiment toward Chinese stocks has been dampened by Beijing’s regulatory crackdown on sectors including technology and after-school tutoring.

“Markets have got into the mode of thinking Covid is very … bad, but economic recovery (is) taking away lockdowns, removing social restrictions — that’s kind of the world recipe at the moment,” Roche, president and global strategist at Independent Strategy, told CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia” on Tuesday.

“Well it’s very much not the world recipe in China for good reasons, and therefore markets have to come to terms with the fact that there are economic costs not only within China, but globally as a result of this,” he added.

I think China is in the process of exiting its big recovery story from Covid …

David Roche

president and global strategist, Independent Strategy

The country’s National Health Commission reported 143 new Covid cases in mainland China on Monday — the highest number of daily infections since January, according to Reuters. Chinese state media attributed the latest resurgence in infections to the highly transmissible delta variant.

Chinese authorities last week ordered mass testing in Wuhan city — where the coronavirus was first detected — and imposed widespread movement restrictions in major cities including Beijing.

Some economists have raised concerns about China’s “zero tolerance” approach to Covid, which refers to the country’s aggressive clampdown on any flare-ups in Covid cases. The approach, which includes strict lockdowns and mass testing, helped China keep previous outbreaks under control before the latest resurgence.

Read more about China from CNBC Pro

But the delta variant is more contagious and could be more difficult to contain — and that could hurt economic recovery in China, economists have warned.

“If lockdowns and vaccination progress do not allow local economies to reopen by mid-August or early September we will need to revisit our 8.8% 2021 GDP forecast,” economists from Australian bank ANZ wrote in a Tuesday report.

China effect on the global economy

Any disruptions in the Chinese economy could affect global economic growth, said Roche.

The strategist explained that broader lockdowns across China could interrupt global supply chains – much of which are located in the country.

That could hit international trade, increase the costs of some goods, and raise inflation expectations around the world, he added.

Roche expects China’s year-on-year growth in the third quarter to slow to between 2% and 3% from the second quarter’s 7.9% expansion.

Over the longer term, China’s economic growth will settle at around 5% to 6%, according to Roche.

“I think China is in the process of exiting its big recovery story from Covid, which of course is ahead of the world … and is now converging with a long-term growth trajectory which is much, much lower than what people became used to in China,” he said.

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CDC research reveals 74% of individuals contaminated in Massachusetts Covid outbreak had been absolutely vaccinated

CDC study shows 74% of people infected in Massachusetts Covid outbreak were fully vaccinated

Boston EMS medics work to resuscitate a patient on the way to the ambulance amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Boston, Massachusetts, April 27, 2020.

Brian Snyder | Reuters

About three-fourths of people infected in a Massachusetts Covid-19 outbreak were fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to new data published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The new data, published in the U.S. agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, also found that fully vaccinated people who get infected carry as much of the virus in their nose as unvaccinated people, and could spread it to other individuals.

“This finding is concerning and was a pivotal discovery leading to CDC’s updated mask recommendation,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. “The masking recommendation was updated to ensure the vaccinated public would not unknowingly transmit virus to others, including their unvaccinated or immunocompromised loved ones.”

On Tuesday, the CDC reversed course on its prior guidance and recommended fully vaccinated Americans who live in areas with high Covid infection rates resume wearing face masks indoors. The guidelines cover about two-thirds of the U.S. population, according to a CNBC analysis.

While the delta variant continues to hit unvaccinated people the hardest, some vaccinated people could be carrying higher levels of the virus than previously understood and are potentially transmitting it to others, Walensky told reporters on a call Tuesday. She added the variant behaves “uniquely differently from past strains of the virus.”

A CDC document that was reviewed by CNBC warned that the delta variant sweeping across the country is as contagious as chickenpox, has a longer transmission window than the original Covid strain and may make older people sicker, even if they’ve been fully vaccinated.

Delta, now in at least 132 countries and already the dominant form of the disease in the United States, is more transmissible than the common cold, the 1918 Spanish flu, smallpox, Ebola, MERS and SARS, according to the document. Only measles appears to spread faster than the variant.

The data published Friday was based on 469 cases of Covid associated with multiple summer events and large public gatherings held in July in Barnstable County, Mass., according to the CDC. The events were held in an unnamed town in Barnstable, which encompasses Cape Cod and is just outside Martha’s Vineyard. Approximately three quarters, or 74%, of the cases occurred in fully vaccinated people who had completed a two-dose course of the mRNA vaccines or received a single dose of Johnson & Johnson’s.

Overall, 274 vaccinated patients with a breakthrough infection were symptomatic, according to the CDC. The most common side effects were cough, headache, sore throat, muscle pain and fever. Among five Covid patients who were hospitalized, four were fully vaccinated, according to the agency. No deaths were reported.

Testing identified the delta variant in 90% of specimens from 133 patients.

The CDC the data has limitations. The agency noted that as population-level vaccination coverage increases, vaccinated persons are likely to represent a larger proportion of Covid cases. Additionally, asymptomatic breakthrough infections might be underrepresented because of detection bias, the agency said.

The CDC also said the report is “insufficient” to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of the authorized vaccines against Covid, including the delta variant, during this outbreak.

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Taiwan Orders Some Tech Employees to Keep Indoors to Sort out an Outbreak

Taiwan Orders Some Tech Workers to Stay Indoors to Tackle an Outbreak

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Officials in a county in Taiwan face a storm of criticism after banning foreign workers from going outside to eradicate a cluster of coronavirus infections among workers at several technology manufacturers.

As part of the measures announced by authorities in the central Miaoli district last week, thousands of migrant workers, mostly from Vietnam and the Philippines, will be prevented from leaving their dormitories except to travel to and from their jobs in high-tech factories. Some workers expressed concerns that conditions in the cramped dormitories, where up to six people share a room, could further spread the virus.

Other workers who were in close contact with infected colleagues were confiscated in quarantine centers. In some of these facilities, activists said workers were served spoiled food or lack of running water.

The officials did not say how long the restrictions apply. At a press conference last week, Miaoli County Magistrate Hsu Yao-chang denied complaints from migrant workers.

“They tested positive and even died from the virus,” he said. “Why talk about human rights now?”

On Friday, Miaoli County reported 26 new infections, mostly among migrant workers, bringing the total number of confirmed cases related to the factories to more than 450, according to the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control. More than 300 packages were found at the hardest hit company, King Yuan Electronics, a semiconductor chip testing and packaging company.

Some workers said they understood the reasons for the restrictions, but argued that they were selecting foreign workers. Taiwanese workers, most of whom work as managers and supervisors in the factories, were allowed to come and go as they pleased, many foreign workers said.

“This is discrimination,” said John Ray Tallud, 29, a Filipino equipment engineer with King Yuan Electronics, in a telephone interview from his dormitory. “Local Taiwanese can go outside anytime.”

Throughout the pandemic, migrant workers were among the most vulnerable groups in the world. Singapore banned hundreds of thousands of low-paid foreign workers from leaving their dormitories for months after the major outbreaks last year. Rural laborers in the United States were considered indispensable and continued to work shoulder to shoulder in the fields, although many became infected.

Until recently, Taiwan was an exception – a covid-free island for most of the pandemic, with tight border controls making it difficult for companies to accept more migrant workers. As a result, union activists say the existing migrant workers – more than 700,000 workers, most from Southeast Asian countries – have gained bargaining power with their employers.

That changed with the recent outbreak. Advocates of migrant workers have criticized the Miaoli government for creating further fear and stigmatization of foreign workers. Many said the order exposed longstanding discrimination against workers who have become a vital, if largely invisible, pillar of the Taiwanese economy – especially its important high-tech industries.

“This is a clear case of injustice,” said Chang Cheng, founder of 4-Way Voice, a multilingual publication for migrant workers in Taiwan. “If we talk about Taiwan’s main industries, they couldn’t survive without these foreign workers.”

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Health

Covid outbreak forces lockdown at U.S. Embassy in Kabul

Covid outbreak forces lockdown at U.S. Embassy in Kabul

A US Marine stands guard outside the US embassy December 21, 2001 in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Paula Bronstein | Getty Images

WASHINGTON – The U.S. embassy in Kabul was locked down Thursday as Covid cases rise in Afghanistan, pushing the country’s fragile health system to its limits.

At the embassy, ​​114 employees tested positive for the coronavirus and are currently in isolation, one person has died and several people have been medically evacuated.

“The resources of the intensive care unit of the military hospital are running at full capacity, which is forcing our health units to create temporary Covid-19 wards to care for oxygen-dependent patients. 95% of our cases are people who are not or not fully vaccinated.” The embassy wrote in a statement.

With immediate effect, the embassy said, employees would be restricted to their quarters, except to fetch food from restaurants or to exercise or relax in the open air alone.

“Individuals can walk, run, or relax outdoors without a mask provided they are ALONE, which means they are at least 6 meters away from others. Any further need requires a mask, ”the statement went on, adding that face-to-face meetings indoors are prohibited unless“ absolutely ”. business critical. “

People who do not adhere to the guidelines could be removed from the post “on the next available flight,” the embassy added.

“The restrictions will continue until the chain of transmission is broken,” the statement said.

Afghan hospitals are quickly running out of medical equipment and other resources as infection cases increased 2,400% in the past month, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said Thursday.

Last week the US embassy in Kabul shut down all consular visa services to deal with an “intense third wave of Covid-19 cases” that may hamper visa status for thousands of Afghans who have supported the US military through the conflict .

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Thursday raised concerns about whether the backlog of more than 10,000 Afghan translators and their families would be cleared before remaining US troops withdraw from the war-weary country.

Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Forces Committee during a hearing on the Pentagon’s budget proposal that “planning is underway” to protect Afghans who have served alongside US and NATO forces.

The country’s senior military officer added that the U.S. military would be able to accommodate any request as the State Department is running the thorough visa process for eligible Afghans.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon said it had passed the center of its Herculean task of withdrawing troops and equipment from Afghanistan.

The US military has removed approximately 611 loads of material that were flown out of the country by large cargo planes, according to an update from US Central Command.

The flight crew assigned to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, carry their equipment into a C-17 Globemaster III assigned to Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina on April 27, 2021.

Staff Sgt. Kylee Gardner | U.S. Air Force photo

Approximately 14,000 pieces of equipment that will not be handed over to the Afghan military have been turned over to the Defense Logistics Agency for destruction. The US officially handed over six facilities to the Afghan military.

In April, Biden announced a full withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan by September 11th, which would end America’s longest war.

Biden’s withdrawal deadline breaks with a proposed deadline that the Trump administration negotiated with the Taliban last year. Accordingly, all foreign armed forces should have left Afghanistan by May 1st.

The removal of approximately 3,000 US soldiers coincides with the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks that spurred America’s entry into protracted wars in the Middle East and Central Asia.

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Health

Outbreak of Toxic Browntail Moth Caterpillars Plagues Maine

Outbreak of Poisonous Browntail Moth Caterpillars Plagues Maine

While parts of the country are battling swarms of cicadas this summer, Maine is battling an invasive species of caterpillar infestation with poisonous hair that can cause painful rashes and even breathing problems.

The caterpillars, known as brown-tailed moths, are about 1.5 inches long with white streaks on the sides and two red dots on the back.

Brown-tailed moths are most common on the Maine coast and Cape Cod, but they have been spotted in all 16 Maine counties this year, said Jim Britt, a spokesman for the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

“People find them everywhere: on the floor, on the picnic table, at the electrical box, on the corner – whatever,” said Mr Britt. “You have a strong presence. People will see them everywhere. “

“We are in the middle of an outbreak,” he said.

The caterpillars have tiny poisonous hairs that can remain poisonous for up to three years, the Maine Department of Health warned.

After people come into contact with the caterpillar’s hair, they can develop a red and bumpy rash that resembles a reaction to poison ivy that can last for a few hours to several weeks, the department said. When the hair is inhaled, some people can develop breathing problems.

Other people, like Mr Britt who said he recently came across the caterpillars in a park, don’t develop symptoms.

“They were everywhere and I had absolutely no reaction to them,” he said.

There is no specific treatment for the rash other than remedies like calamine lotion, the department said.

In Waterville, Maine, a town about 20 miles north of Augusta, the caterpillar infestation has gotten so out of control that the mayor has called an emergency council meeting to declare a public health emergency and order insecticides.

“After a year of pandemic, while we can finally get out and socialize, this is the last thing we want to deal with,” Mayor Jay Coelho said at the meeting, adding that he has received several emails from. received Waterville residents with pictures of painful rashes.

The caterpillars spend the winter in oaks and other deciduous trees and hatch in the spring, said Mr Britt.

Brown-tailed moths aren’t new to Maine, as it has been for a century. The caterpillars originally came from Massachusetts, but ended up in Maine “because they are experienced hitchhikers,” said Britt.

Although it is unclear exactly what caused this recent infestation, Mr Britt said that dry conditions are “absolutely ideal” for brown-tailed moths to expand their range.

During the emergency meeting in Waterville, a city council member, Thomas Klepach, raised concerns that climate change could worsen the infestation in years to come.

“It is wise for the city to get the outbreak under control as much as possible now,” said Klepach, “and to realize that this may be an ongoing problem.”

The Maine Department of Health recommends showering and changing after visiting brown-tailed moth areas, wearing a mask and goggles for outdoor activities such as raking leaves and gardening on wet days.

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Public well being prof on Taiwan outbreak, vaccination progress

Public health prof on Taiwan outbreak, vaccination progress

The recent Covid-19 outbreak in Taiwan is a lesson that a containment strategy that targets zero local transmission may not be sustainable in the long term, a public health professor said Tuesday.

Before the recent explosion in cases, Taiwan had reported very few Covid infections for over a year – and most were imported. This allowed daily activities to continue largely normally and the island received international praise for its containment measures.

But it made Taiwan “completely vulnerable” to new variants of the coronavirus that are more communicable and potentially more serious, said Benjamin Cowling, professor and head of the epidemiology and biostatistics department at the University of Hong Kong’s School of Public Health.

“Probably less than 1% of their population have a natural infection, and therefore natural immunity, and … less than 1% have been vaccinated – so they are almost entirely susceptible,” Cowling told CNBC’s Squawk Box Asia.

Taiwan, with a population of around 24 million, has reported more than 8,500 confirmed Covid cases and 124 deaths as of Monday, official data showed.

It is a warning to other parts of Asia that this strategy of elimination is also trying, it is not necessarily sustainable in the long run.

Benjamin Cowling

Hong Kong University School of Public Health

Cowling said Taiwan will have a hard time controlling the recent outbreak. Authorities may need tougher social distancing measures as testing capacity hasn’t been ramped up enough and the island’s vaccination progress has been slow, he added.

“It is a warning to other parts of Asia that are also trying this elimination strategy, it is not necessarily sustainable in the long term,” said the professor.

Asian economies have generally shown lower tolerance to Covid infection compared to their competitors in other regions.

Governments in Hong Kong and Singapore, for example, have been quick to tighten measures to curb small upward movements in cases. Meanwhile, countries like the US and UK are still reporting thousands of cases every day, but faster vaccination has allowed countries to lift restrictions.

Like many of its regional competitors in Asia, Taiwan faced challenges in securing Covid vaccines, Cowling said. Part of Taiwan’s hurdle is politics, the professor said.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said in a Facebook post last week that the government had bought vaccines developed by AstraZeneca and Moderna. She accused China Blocking of a deal with Germany’s BioNTech, which has developed a vaccine together with US pharmaceutical company Pfizer.

Beijing rejects Tsai’s allegations.

China claims Taiwan as a runaway province that will one day have to be reunited with the mainland – if necessary by force. The Chinese Communist Party has never ruled Taiwan, which is a democratic, self-governing island.

“There are a lot of policies out there when it comes to getting vaccines into Taiwan,” Cowling said. “I think they will do it, but right now they won’t be able to vaccinate enough people to stop the current outbreak. They have to use social distancing and bans to deal with it.”

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Cease Kissing and Snuggling Chickens, C.D.C. Says After Salmonella Outbreak

Stop Kissing and Snuggling Chickens, C.D.C. Says After Salmonella Outbreak

A salmonella outbreak related to backyard poultry has led U.S. health officials to issue a stern warning: do not kiss or cuddle your ducks and chickens.

163 illnesses and 34 hospital admissions have been reported in 43 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week. North Carolina had the highest number of reported cases at 13, followed by Iowa at 11. About a third of the cases involved children under the age of 5, the agency said.

The true number of those sick is most likely higher as many recover without medical help and not tested for salmonella, according to the CDC.

The likely source of the outbreak is exposure to backyard poultry, the agency said.

“Do not kiss or cuddle the birds as it can spread germs in your mouth and make you sick,” the agency said.

This was among the guidelines the CDC offered to people who keep poultry at home, whether they are seasoned owners or building their first backyard pen. You should always wash their hands for 20 seconds after contact with birds or related materials, the agency said, and don’t allow children under the age of 5 to touch the birds.

Emily Shoop, poultry educator at Penn State Extension, said Monday poultry farming is “the fastest growing animal-related hobby in the US.”

The CDC has routinely issued similar guidelines over the years, she said, adding that this is the time of year when hatcheries and feeders sell chicks to people who start herding at home.

“You bring these chickens home, you cuddle them close to your face or you kiss them, and then we see some bugs and a salmonella outbreak,” said Ms. Shoop. “The best way to prevent this from happening is to wash your hands after touching chickens, their dung, eggs, or meat.”

Animals can ingest salmonella from contaminated food or the bacteria can live naturally in their intestines. According to the CDC website, some may even pick up the bacteria from their mothers before they are born.

Raising backyard poultry has become more common in recent years, and some have described the process of rearing chickens as an exercise of inter-species respect.

Chick sales often go up during times of anxiety or economic stress, such as being at home. B. Stock market slumps and presidential election years. At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, a combination of unemployment, anxious leisure time for those not struggling with illness, and financial instability led people to panic buying chickens, much like toilet paper. Many were first-time buyers.

Although their intentions may have been good, there were health consequences. By mid-December 2020, there had been more than 1,700 salmonella infections in all 50 states, the CDC said, noting that exposure to backyard poultry was the likely cause of the outbreaks. More than 300 people have been hospitalized and one death has been reported. The number of diseases reported was higher than any previous backyard-related outbreak.

Ms. Shoop said that there is a risk with all types of livestock. “These are not pets, and a lot of people get them confused,” she said. Poultry, she said, is usually kept outside and outside of the food preparation areas.

“If you cuddle them close to your face or mouth, you should probably wash your face and brush your teeth as well to prevent cross-contamination from these birds,” she said. “Chickens are by no means dirty animals, but of course they have a lot of bacteria around their bodies.”

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World News

Why India’s Outbreak Is a Menace to the World

Why India's Outbreak Is a Threat to the World

The coronavirus wave in India, where countless pyres cloud the night sky, is more than just a humanitarian disaster: Experts say uncontrolled outbreaks like India’s also threaten to prolong the pandemic by allowing more dangerous variants of the virus to spread and possibly evade Vaccinations.

The United States will start restricting travel from India later this week, but similar restrictions on air travel from China that President Trump imposed in the early days of the pandemic proved ineffective.

“We can ban any flights we want, but there is literally no way to keep these highly contagious varieties out of our country,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University School of Public Health.

As the coronavirus spreads among human hosts, it invariably mutates, creating opportunities for new variants that can be more transmissible or even deadly. A highly contagious variant known as B.1.1.7 knocked down the UK earlier this year and is already well entrenched in the US and Europe.

Recent estimates suggest that B.1.1.7 is about 60 percent more contagious and 67 percent more deadly than the original form of the virus. Another worrying variant, P.1, is wreaking havoc across South America.

On Friday, India recorded 401,993 new cases in a single day, a world record, despite experts say its real numbers are well above reports. Peru, Brazil, and other countries across South America are also experiencing devastating waves.

Virologists aren’t sure what is driving India’s second wave. Some have pointed to a native variant called B.1.617, but researchers outside of India say the limited data suggests that B.1.1.7 could be to blame.

With 44 percent of adults receiving at least one dose, the United States has made great strides in vaccinating its citizens, although experts say the country is a long way from achieving what is known as herd immunity if the virus doesn’t get away easily can spread because it can. t find enough hosts. The hesitation of the vaccine remains a formidable threat to reaching that threshold.

However, vaccines are still hard to come by in much of the world, especially in poorer countries. In India, less than 2 percent of the population is fully vaccinated. “If we are to leave this pandemic behind, we cannot let the virus run wild in other parts of the world,” said Dr. Yeh.

Initial evidence suggests that the vaccines are effective against the variants, but slightly less effective against some.

“For the moment the vaccines remain effective, but there is a trend towards less effectiveness,” said Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease doctor and epidemiologist at Bellevue Hospital in New York.

Vaccine manufacturers say they are ready to develop booster vaccines that would address particularly problematic variants, but such a solution would be of little help to poorer nations who are already struggling to get their existing vaccines. Experts say the best way to prevent dangerous variants from developing is to contain new infections and immunize most of humanity as soon as possible.

Dr. Michael Diamond, a viral immunologist at Washington University in St. Louis, said the longer the coronavirus circulates, the more time it has to mutate, which could eventually threaten vaccinated people. The only way to break the cycle is to make sure countries like India get enough vaccines.

“To stop this pandemic, we have to vaccinate the whole world,” said Dr. Diamond. “There will always be new waves of infection if we don’t vaccinate worldwide.”