While Norway and large parts of Europe benefit from high vaccination rates and open up after the pandemic, the situation is still serious in parts of the United States. In some states the numbers are stable, in others the infection falls, while in others the infection increases, shows an overview from CNN.
Many are worried that it looks like the number of sick children is increasing, writes Reuters. More than 840,000 American children under the age of four have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, and although most recover well from the disease, some are severely affected.
– Tiffany Jackson comforts her son Adrian, who is on a respirator in the intensive care unit at the Children’s Hospital in St. Louis. Photo: Callaghan O’hare
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When two-and-a-half-year-old Adrian James became ill early last week, no one suspected the coronavirus. No one else in the family was ill, and they assumed it was a normal cough, writes Reuters.
Delete with the breath
But by Friday, the fever was so high, and he struggled so much with his breathing, that his mother took him to the doctor.
Doctors took X-rays of his lungs and took a coronal test. He was then airlifted to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis.
Mom and Grandma got in the car and hurried as fast as they could. Terrified of what was going to happen.
“I did not know if he would survive,” his mother, Tiffany Jackson, 21, told Reuters.
The boy gasped for air 76 times per minute, which is twice as much as usual, the mother explains.
Late Tuesday night, he was intubated and put on a respirator, wrapped in his favorite blanket and the stuffed animal nearby. His lungs are showing signs of improvement, and it is hoped he can be taken off a respirator soon.
The mother is lying on a sofa in the room in the intensive care unit. She thinks about who may have infected her son.
– Doctors are discussing the treatment of the two-year-old boy. Photo: Callaghan O’hare
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– It’s serious
She herself has not been vaccinated because she has the autoimmune disease Guillain-Barre syndrome. Adrian’s father has only received one vaccine dose. He works in a factory, where you have to wear a face mask and practice social distance.
Jackson is very grateful for the help the boy is getting now, and believes that he will survive. She tells her story in the hope that people understand that they can infect young children, and people with vulnerable immune systems.
– I want people to understand how serious it is, she says.
– Tiffany Jackson goes out and tells about her sick son to make people understand the seriousness. Photo: Callaghan O’hare
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In the United States, more than 700,000 deaths have been recorded, which is more than the number of Americans who died during the Spanish flu. The number of registered infections was around 43.3 million at the end of September.
Fewer people get vaccinated
The number of Americans receiving their first vaccine dose is also plummeting across the country, despite an increasingly comprehensive vaccine requirement.
Several experts are concerned that the refill doses that have now begun to be given may make the situation worse, because it increases many people’s skepticism about the effectiveness of the vaccine.
Many Americans clearly state that they are very tired of infection control measures – and many still do not take the pandemic seriously. Many let their anger and frustration go beyond health workers.
Harassed
– A year ago we were heroes and everyone clapped for us. Now we experience harassment or we are ridiculed for our job. It is very depressing and frustrating, says doctor Stu Coffman. He works in the emergency room in Dallas.
In Idaho, nurses say they leave clothes and other hospital symbols before daring to go to the grocery store nearby – for fear of the resident’s anger.
– The situation puts extra pressure on health workers who are already under strong pressure, says doctor James Lawler, a specialist in infectious diseases at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. There, some of the doctors have received threats online.
The hostility makes it difficult for healthcare professionals from previously stressful work. Many places are struggling with severe staff shortages, partly because nurses have been burnt out and left.
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