Health
Why the US has the highest COVID-19 death toll
The United States crossed the grim milestone of 500,000 deaths from COVID-19 on Monday, a year since announcing its first known death from the virus on February 29, 2020 in the Seattle area.
Why does the world’s leading power have the highest death toll and what lessons are American health specialists learning from the past year?
Here, infectious disease experts Joseph Masci and Michele Halpern provide answers to some of the key questions.
Masci, 70, is one of the leaders of Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, which was at the heart of New York’s epidemic.
Halpern is a specialist at the Montefiore hospital group in New Rochelle, a New York suburb where the epidemic arrived in force in February 2020.
– Why has the United States been hit so hard? –
Prior to this pandemic, the United States observed coronaviruses “from a distance,” explained Masci.
“There was SARS in Canada but very little or none in this country. There was no MERS here at all,” he said.
“There was a lot of preparation made for Ebola coming to the United States, and it never really did.
“Suddenly this (coronavirus) was a problem where the United States was the epicenter.”
Masci said it was difficult to compare the United States with other countries.
“I think smaller countries that had structured health care services had a good chance of bringing things into play quickly.
“In a country like ours, with 50 independent states, and a huge landmass, with largely a private hospital system, it is always going to be difficult to get everybody on board with one particular set of strategies,” he explained.
Masci added that Donald Trump’s administration had a “haphazard approach”, which did not help.
“The fact that hospitals were competing with each other to get personal protective equipment didn’t make sense. They had to centralize all of that very quickly and they didn’t.
“It was a struggle to try to deal with those obstacles that were put up,” he said.
Masci and Halpern rue that mask-wearing was politicized.
“It’s purely a health care issue,” said Masci, adding that it is going to be difficult for the federal government to “reframe” that message.
Halpern insists that people should not see mask-wearing as “infringing” on their freedom.
“There are other things we do routinely that you could say infringe our liberties like wearing a seatbelt or running through a red light,” she said.
According to the Johns Hopkins University tally, another 1,297 virus-related deaths were reported on Monday in the United States.
– What are the main lessons to be learned from the crisis? –
For Masci, the most important lesson was to learn how to reconfigure hospitals to make them able to cope with a sudden influx of patients.
“Now… instead of 12 hot ICU beds, you have to have 150. Where do you get them? Who do you staff on with? So now we’ve learned this lesson.” he said.
Masci said the group of public hospitals of which Elmhurst is a part found strategies to distribute the burden among NYC’s 11 public hospitals by transferring patients very quickly.
“We’ve turned from one hospital with 500 beds, to 11 hospitals with about 5,000 beds. It’s worked very nicely.”
More generally, Halpern says the pandemic has made everyone realize that “hospitals need resources.”
“You have to invest in research, but you also have to invest in hospitals, in nursing homes. They have to have enough staff, they have to have the equipment that they need and the personnel has to be happy,” she added.
The epidemic has also sharply exposed inequalities, not just in health care but also in housing, with Black and Latino communities dying in disproportionately high numbers.
“We have to look at housing, and how it can be better suited to handling future epidemics. There are others coming,” said Masci.
– Will we still be wearing masks in December? –
Vaccines are rolling out but health experts are cautious due to uncertainties surrounding the British and South African variants of the virus.
Masci says that if the variant strains don’t turn into a huge problem and once we’ve reached the point where 70-80 percent of the population is vaccinated then “there’s a good chance” we won’t wear masks anymore.
“(But) suppose these variant strains do take hold, become more of a problem, are vaccine resistant, and we’re all closing schools and putting masks and locking down again in a few months, (then) it’s a lot harder to say by December, ‘We’ll be out of the woods.’”
Halpern says it’s reassuring that the second wave was largely controlled, in New York at least.
“I have hopes that the vaccines will be effective and will tamper future waves. But it’s hard to be sure whether our vaccines will be effective in the longer term, or on new variants. I don’t think anyone knows that.
“So we have to be prepared that we’re in this for a while,” she said.
In the long term, Masci says countries must not “fall into the trap” of forgetting about the pandemic once it has passed.
“It is unnerving to think that this came without warning. It’s caused so much restructuring of everything.
“We have to have a more meticulous global search for new pathogens because we’re living in a time now where there is no, ‘Something is happening in Asia and it’s not going to happen in America.’”
The Oyo State Ministry of Health has closed two hospitals in Saki West Local Government Area following a suspected outbreak of Lassa fever, which has claimed four lives.
The fatalities, confirmed by the Oyo State Rapid Response Team (RRT), include three males and a 32-year-old female who was preparing for her wedding. The closure of the hospitals aims to contain the spread of the disease and ensure thorough decontamination.
In a press statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, revealed that the RRT was dispatched to Saki following distress calls from residents reporting mysterious deaths.
Findings and Immediate Actions
The RRT, comprising health officials, representatives from WHO and the Red Cross, and local health authorities, conducted a comprehensive investigation into the outbreak.
Preliminary findings suggest that an apprentice at one of the affected hospitals, who had recently returned from Iwajowa Local Government Area, might have introduced the infection.
The team disclosed that the deceased exhibited symptoms consistent with Lassa fever, such as craniofacial bleeding. The hospital owner, who was among the deceased, initially self-medicated with antimalarials and antibiotics before seeking hospital care when his condition worsened.
Containment Measures
Both the hospital where the fatalities occurred and the facility that admitted the hospital owner were shut down for decontamination.
Contact tracing efforts are ongoing, focusing on high-risk individuals who had contact with the deceased during their illness or burial.
Affected health workers were trained on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols, and public awareness campaigns were conducted to educate residents about Lassa fever.
Samples have been collected from a symptomatic individual, pending laboratory confirmation. Line-listing of contacts is underway to identify potential cases and prevent further spread.
Collaborative Efforts
The RRT also paid an advocacy visit to the Okere of Saki’s palace to brief traditional authorities on the situation. Local government officials in Saki West were engaged to coordinate containment strategies.
Reports indicate that while the outbreak initially affected Saki West, it has extended to Iwajowa and Kajola Local Government Areas.
Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers (DSNOs) in the affected LGAs have been instructed to commence preliminary containment measures as the State RRT ramps up its response.
Call for Vigilance
The Ministry of Health has urged residents to remain vigilant, report any symptoms suggestive of Lassa fever, and adhere to preventive measures.
These include proper hygiene practices, avoiding contact with rodents, and seeking medical attention promptly if symptoms arise.
A member representing Ibarapa East/Ido federal constituency of Oyo State at the House of Representatives, Engr. Aderemi Oseni, has announced a plan to launch a “Mobile Clinic” programme aimed at providing essential healthcare services directly to rural communities across the constituency.
Scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2025, this initiative underscores Oseni’s commitment to expanding healthcare access, particularly for underserved populations.
Speaking on Saturday at the 10th-anniversary celebration of God’s Knot Hospital in Ologuneru, Ibadan, the lawmaker, who also chairs the House Committee on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), highlighted the programme’s primary objective: bringing healthcare closer to the people.
“Every community deserves attention; healthcare should never be bound by geographical barriers,” Oseni stated.
He explained that the mobile clinics would deliver essential health check-ups, screenings, and preventive care in remote areas, allowing residents to access quality healthcare without traveling long distances.
As part of his broader healthcare agenda, Oseni informed, through a statement by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, that he has already facilitated the construction of two fully equipped maternity centers within his constituency, both slated for commissioning before December 2024. He also disclosed plans to establish two modern general hospitals in 2025, further strengthening his commitment to building a healthier community.
The lawmaker expressed interest in collaborating with God’s Knot Hospital on the mobile clinic project, calling for partnerships to support sustainable healthcare initiatives that enhance the quality of life for vulnerable populations in the constituency.
“I resonate deeply with the mission of God’s Knot Hospital,” Oseni shared, adding that such partnerships would significantly improve healthcare in Oyo State”.
The anniversary event attracted distinguished guests, including former Ondo State Governor Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, whom Oseni commended for his contributions to healthcare, particularly through the Mother and Child Hospitals that transformed maternal and child healthcare in Ondo State.
Oseni urged philanthropists, government bodies, and international organizations to support healthcare projects like the upcoming mobile clinics, emphasising that the improvement of healthcare services is a shared responsibility.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has ordered the immediate closure of the Gomboru drug market in Maiduguri following severe flooding that submerged the area and contaminated the drugs sold within the market.
In a statement posted on its official X handle, NAFDAC disclosed that the decision was made after reports surfaced that contaminated drugs, which had been washed and sun-dried for resale, were being sold at the market.
“After the recent flooding in Maiduguri that submerged the Gomboru drug market where contaminated drugs were washed and sun-dried for resale, the @DGatNAFDAC ordered the immediate closure of the market to conduct a thorough shop-to-shop removal of these compromised drugs,” the agency wrote.
The flooding, which ravaged Maiduguri, was triggered by the rupture of the Alau dam on the Ngadda River, located 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the city.
The floodwaters claimed at least 30 lives and displaced 400,000 residents, leaving large parts of the city and surrounding areas in devastation.
NAFDAC’s intervention is aimed at safeguarding public health by preventing the sale and consumption of contaminated drugs.
The agency has mobilized teams to inspect the market and ensure the removal of all compromised pharmaceutical products.
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