One-Third of Recent US Patients
Occurred in 5 Low-Vaccination States
Indonesia with 5% Vaccination Rate
Surpasses India in Deaths
[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] As the Delta variant spreads worldwide, COVID-19 vaccination rates have emerged as a decisive factor in fatality rates. In areas with low vaccination rates, deaths have surged, while in places with high rates, fatalities have remained stable or even decreased.
Johns Hopkins University in the United States analyzed that the daily number of confirmed cases in the U.S. has doubled over the past week, CNN reported on the 13th (local time). The average daily confirmed cases over the past seven days reached 23,346, a 97% increase compared to the previous week.
In particular, one out of every three new confirmed cases in the U.S. occurred in five states with low vaccination rates. These states are Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, and Nevada, all of which have vaccination rates below 48%, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The proportion of severe cases is also on the rise. In St. Louis County, Missouri, new confirmed cases increased by 63% over the past two weeks. At a hospital in Springfield, Missouri, over 90% of patients in the intensive care unit are on ventilators, which is double the 40-50% rate during last year's peak infection period. Howard Jarvis, an emergency surgeon in Springfield, said, "All patients who are sick enough to be hospitalized are unvaccinated."
Consequently, there are forecasts that the number of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. will surge soon. Generally, mortality rates increase 3 to 4 weeks after infection. Jonathan Reiner, a professor at George Washington University, predicted, "Considering that ICUs in Missouri and other areas are currently saturated, the number of deaths will increase to an astonishing level."
In fact, 99.2% of people who died from COVID-19 in the U.S. last month were unvaccinated. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), called it "tragic because most deaths could have been avoided," adding, "Of course, vaccinated people can also die, but the overwhelming majority of those in dire conditions are unvaccinated."
Low vaccination rates are also a cause of high fatality rates in other countries. Indonesia, with a vaccination rate of only 5% for two or more doses, has had the highest daily confirmed cases (47,899) and deaths (864) worldwide for two consecutive days since the 12th, surpassing India.
Russia, with a full vaccination rate of 13.1%, set a new record for the highest number of deaths just three days after recording its previous peak. On that day, Russia reported 780 deaths, 28 more than the previous record of 752.
On the other hand, the United Kingdom, which started vaccinations earliest worldwide, has the highest number of new confirmed cases since January but the number of deaths is half of what it was then. Israel, with the fastest vaccination rate, estimates that over 90% of new confirmed cases are infected with the Delta variant, but the average daily death count was only 2 as of the previous day.
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