Washington, March 18 / BNA / US Health Secretary Xavier Becerra warned Thursday that vaccines, tests and treatments will “remain stuck” unless Congress provides the additional funds requested by the White House.
“We’ve reached a pivotal point,” Becerra said in an interview with The Associated Press. “How successful we are at focusing on us.”
Omicron variant BA.2, which causes Virus recovery in Europe and Asia, is gaining ground in the United States, although overall cases here are still declining. Besera said the funding crisis with Capitol Hill could impede Biden administration A promising new strategy is called “test therapy”.
Under this plan, people can go to their local pharmacy for a COVID test and, if positive, receive medications they can take at home. He called it a “one-stop shop”.
“If you don’t have the dollars to let it fly, you’re stuck,” Becerra said. “You are stuck on the floor.”
In a wide-ranging interview, Becerra also expressed his concerns about the rise in cases among children Schools are also raising mask requirements.
Schools have become a flashpoint in the COVID response, with some parents objecting to the concealment requirement as an infringement of personal freedom and others reluctance to put their children near any potential dangers. With the pendulum now swinging in the direction of disclosure, Becerra said he hoped caution would not be discerned.
“I hope there will be no stigmatization of a child,” he said. “If a parent says, ‘I want my child to wear a mask,’ that’s fine for them.”
He also said his Department of Health and Human Services is trying to prepare so that millions of people don’t lose health insurance if their Medicaid eligibility expires when the government ends the official COVID public health emergency. During the pandemic, Congress was making more money available for the state’s Medicaid programs. But in return, states were prohibited from culling lists.
A more comfortable new normal is within reach, Becerra said, but it depends on two things. One is a virus that has proven difficult to control. The other is Americans’ sense of personal responsibility. With fewer than half of the eligible population now boosting, even as medical experts assess a new fourth round of shots, more pleas for personal responsibility may be tuned in.
Asked about the prospect of returning to a more relaxed normal life, Becerra said, “If everyone does their part, then yes.”
But he quickly added, “If not, get ready. This thing is hard to tame. COVID has taken us on a wild ride.”
The White House and Congress In the face of President Joe Biden’s request for $22.5 billion to continue the government’s response to the coronavirus this year. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attempted to secure a $15.6 billion package, but the varying objections from Democrats and Republicans prevented the deal from being implemented. The White House says funds for some of the efforts, including buying more booster doses and monoclonal antibody treatments, will run out by the end of this month. Also at risk: Free COVID care for uninsured people.
Regarding the “Treatment Test” program, Becerra said it would help people get medicines as soon as they become infected, preventing them from being hospitalized.
“Testing the cure is indispensable,” he said. “It goes a long way in avoiding the spread of COVID.”
But the option is not now widely available. “Pharmacy sites don’t grow on trees, the way money doesn’t grow on trees, and it costs money,” Becerra said.
Throughout the pandemic, the government has had problems trying to communicate clearly with the public about the risks of COVID and countermeasures. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an agency of HHS, has faced particular criticism for giving complex and changing guidelines.
But Becerra said people who spread misinformation about the coronavirus should bear the brunt of the blame for confusing Americans.
“Scientists have clearly communicated to the American people what to do,” he said. “Unfortunately, someone else decides to misrepresent or distort the message, or distort it completely in incorrect ways.”
Besera likened the epidemic to a five-alarm fire that is contained but still dangerous.
He warned that “you have to have a feeling that things have settled down” before trying to transmit from COVID.
“We have to reach a point where we believe that the health status of the country and our people has stabilized enough,” he said. “I think we’re getting closer and closer to that point where we don’t see a need for these five stimuli.”
AOQ