Prognosis
U.S. Doctors Lose Patience as They Confront Vaccine Hesitancy
- Infections, hospitalizations are rising again across country
- Health professionals say they’re more frustrated than year ago
Photographer: Go Nakamura/Getty Images
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A year ago, U.S. health professionals felt helpless. The coronavirus had been identified but was poorly understood. Thousands were dying daily and the tools available -- ventilators, experimental therapies, testing kits -- were limited and often ineffective. The president was dismissive of masks and social distancing.
Today, even though the death rate has plummeted, those same professionals feel worse. The virus, while mutating, has been mapped; tests and highly effective vaccines are readily available, and the White House is on message. But, propelled by the delta variant, infection rates are increasing in 90% of the U.S.