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A COVID-19 patient arrives outside Maimonides Medical Center, New York, U.S., November 17, 2020. /Reuters
**Editor's note: **Haider Rifaat is a features writer for OK! Pakistan, the international edition of OK! Magazine. He is also a writer for Arabian Moda and Flanelle magazine and serves as the creator and host of Pakistan's first web talk show – The Haider Rifaat Show. The article reflects the author's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.
U.S. President Joe Biden made optimistic remarks a few months ago, claiming that July 4 would be the "target date to get life in America closer to normal" and "to celebrate our independence from the virus together with our friends and our loved ones as we celebrate Independence Day." However, his over-the-top statement completely contradicts the present-day reality in the U.S.
The daily count of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. has shot up by 400 percent since last month, according to CNN. Florida in particular reported a record-breaking 21,683 number of new daily infections since the onset of the pandemic. This makes Florida America's new epicenter.
The U.S. is returning to a state of national emergency despite steady progress. COVID-19 messaging stemming from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the White House have left millions of Americans baffled. Mask mandates for vaccinated individuals were initially lifted, then reimposed. Even vaccinated individuals rightfully questioned the need to wear masks despite immunization.
By now, it is clear that confused messaging from the CDC and the Biden administration have hampered efforts to end the coronavirus crisis in America.
What further worsens the state of affairs is that fully vaccinated hospital staffers are testing positive for the virus. At least 200 employees working in two of San Francisco's hospitals tested positive for the Delta variant. Most of these employees were fully vaccinated.
This staggering revelation begs the question: Do U.S. vaccines actually work against the Delta variant? There are again conflicting accounts.
Pfizer's medical director in Israel, Alon Rappaport, revealed that the Pfizer vaccine is 90 percent effective against the Delta variant while another study showed that Pfizer and Moderna are 88 percent and 72 percent effective, respectively.
However, Israel's health ministry paints a far worse picture. Pfizer is, in fact, only 39 percent effective in preventing infections against the Delta variant. This statistic could further pose a threat to American lives given the disappointing efficacy rate of the U.S. manufactured vaccine against new variants.
Vials labelled "COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine" and a syringe are seen in front of the Pfizer logo, February 9, 2021. /Reuters
Scientists assumed they had COVID-19 all figured out. However, the truth is, the virus is ever-evolving and hard to decipher. That is primarily why vaccines respond so differently to COVID-19 and its multiple variants.
Data has also indicated that vaccinated individuals are capable of spreading COVID-19. Director of the CDC, Rochelle Walensky said in a statement, "It is not a welcome piece of news that masking is going to be a part of people's lives who have already been vaccinated."
The shift in CDC rhetoric regarding COVID-19 guidelines has confused and infuriated Americans. This will only inflame vaccine hesitancy , and give ammunition to Republicans to push the anti-vaccine narrative via conservative media and proposed legislation.
GOP members and the conservative media, mainly FOX News, are lobbying against President Joe Biden to create vaccine hysteria. According to the media watchdog group Media Matters, from June 28 to July 11, 57 per cent of the COVID-19 vaccine segments FOX News covered included claims that downplayed the importance of vaccination efforts.
Republicans in particular were interested in pushing the anti-vaccine narrative to harm Biden in the primaries and attempt to keep Republican Donald Trump as president. This is particularly harmful to Biden, considering his efforts to combat COVID-19 have been largely politicized by right-wingers from the start.
The biggest challenge for the Biden administration is to win over Republican states where vaccine hesitancy remains high. However, vaccine hysteria has boiled over, and there is very little the Biden team can do now to persuade conservatives to get vaccinated.
In light of these major developments, the U.S. could soon experience a sociopolitical debacle. COVID-19 could affect all areas of the country including society, the economy, politics and healthcare. People are losing faith in science and the U.S. government. At this point, the Republican party may be sacrificing Americans' health to pave the way for winning the political war against the Democrats.
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