Why are more than 300 people in the US still dead because of Covid every week?

More than five years after the first case of Covid-19 was detected in the United States, hundreds of people were still dying every week.

Last month, The average of around 350 people die every week from CovidAccording to data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

While high, the number of deaths decreases and lower than the peak of 25,974 deaths recorded weeks which ended on January 9, 2021, as well as weekly deaths seen in previous spring months, CDC data showed.

Public health experts told ABC News that although the US was in a far better place than a few years ago, Covid is still a threat to high-risk groups.

“The fact that we still see death means that it is still circulating, and people still catch it,” Dr. Tony Moody, a professor at the Pediatric Department in the Infectious Disease Division at Duke University Medical Center, told ABC News.

Experts say there are several reasons why people may still be dying because of the virus, including low absorption of vaccination, reduced immunity and not enough people who access treatment.

Low vaccine absorption, reduced immunity

During the 2024-25 season, only 23% of adults aged 18 years and over receive the Covid-19 vaccine which was updated on the week ended April 26, according to CDC data.

Among the children, only 13% of them receive the updated covid vaccine during the same period, Data shows.

Gregory Poland, a vaccine and president and co-sutradara Atria Research Institute-who focuses on preventing diseases-the possibility of not enough people who receive vaccines, who contribute to the number of Covid weekly deaths.

However, for those who have received vaccines, some may not develop the right immune response.

“There are some people who genetically tend not to respond well vaccine. That is the topic that I have learned with other virus vaccines,” Poland told ABC News. “A more common problem is that immunocompromised people and cannot respond properly.”

In addition, Poland said that the immunity from the Covid-19 vaccine was reduced from time to time, increasing the possibility of infection.

This is why current recommendations For those aged 65 and older is to receive two doses of the Covid vaccine that is updated six months.

“Another reason to die because Covid is a parent, being what we call immunosenescent, where you do not have immunological abilities to respond in the same way as you do in the 30s and 40s,” Poland said. “On it, if you are infected when you are in your 70s, 80s, there are some … collecting comorbidities.”

CDC data shows that those aged 75 and older currently have the highest Covid-19 mortality rate at 4.66 per 100,000.

Not accessing covid maintenance

At present, there is Treatment for Covid-19 patients In the form of antivirus pills, including Molnupaivir from Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and Paxlovid from Pfizer.

Both treatments must begin in five days after the symptoms of Covid appear and are given twice a day for five days, with Merck into four pills every time and Pfizer each of them into three pills.

There is also a remdesivir, an intravenous drug that must begin within seven days after the symptoms of Covid appear.

“I don’t think we need to use the tools we have in the best way,” Moody said. “I of course talk to people who get drugs when they get Covid and they make big differences. … The trial data will definitely suggest that drugs are effective.”

“I do think that we might not use drugs effectively, or to as many people as possible to help,” he continued.

Moody said there was a possibility that some Covid patients came down with symptoms but did not go to the doctor until their symptoms became severe. Or, some people do not undergo a covid test when they have symptoms and, therefore, the diagnosis of Covid is lost.

“I’m sure there are people who are infected who are not detected [and not being] Treated, “Moody said, but he added that not everyone needs to be tested regularly and that only high -risk people must test more often.