More than five years after the first cases of COVID-19 in the United States were detected, hundreds of people are still dying every week.

Last month, An average of approximately 350 people died every week in Covidaccording to data from the centers for disease control and prevention (CDC).

Although it is high, the number of deaths is decreasing and is lower than the peak of 25,974 deaths registered the week that ended on January 9, 2021, as well as the weekly deaths seen in the previous spring months, as shown in the CDC data.

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

“The fact that we are still seeing deaths only means that it is still circulating, and people are still catching it,” Dr. Tony Moody, a professor of the Department of Pediatrics in the division of infectious diseases at the Medical Center of the University of Duke told ABC News.

Experts said there are some reasons why people could still be dying from the virus, including the low vaccination absorption, immunity decreasing and there are not enough people who access treatments.

Low vaccine absorption, diminishing immunity

During the 2024-25 season, only 23% of adults, 18 or more received the COVID-19 vaccine updated from the week ending on April 26, according to CDC data.

Among the children, only 13% of them received the covid vaccine updated during the same period, the The data show.

Dr. Gregory Poland, vaccinator and president and co -director of the Atria Research Institute, which focuses on disease prevention, said there are probably not enough people who receive the vaccine, which contributes to the amount of weekly COVID deaths.

However, for those who have received the vaccine, some may not be developing an adequate immune response.

“There are some people who may be genetically inclined to not respond to the vaccine. That is the issue that I have studied with other viral vaccines,” Pole told ABC News. “The most common problem is that people are immunocompromised and cannot answer well.”

In addition, Poland said that the Immunity of COVID-19 vaccines decreases over time, increasing the probability of infected.

That is why he Current recommendation For the elderly, for those over 65 it is to receive two doses of the updated COVID vaccine with six months of difference.

“Another reason for death due to Covid is to be an old man, being what we call immunosenescent, where he does not have the immune capacity to respond in the same way he did in his 30 and 40 years,” said Poland. “In addition, if you are infected at the time you are 70, 80 years old, there are some … accumulating comorbidity.”

CDC data It shows that those over 75 have the highest rate of deaths from COVID-19 to 4.66 percent.

Do not access Covid treatments

Currently, there are Treatments for patients with COVID-19 In the form of antiviral pills, including Molnupiravir de Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and Paxlovid of Pfizer.

Both treatments must begin within five days after the appearance of COVID symptoms and administer twice a day for five days, and Merck is four pills each time and Pfizer is three pills each.

There is also semesivir, an intravenous medication that must be initiated within seven days after the appearance of Covid symptoms.

“I think we don’t necessarily use the tools we have at the best possible way,” Moody said. “I have certainly talked to people who have received medications when they obtained COVID and made a big difference … the test data would definitely suggest that drugs are effective.”

“I think we may not be using drugs so effectively, or in as many people as I could help,” he continued.

Moody said it is possible that some patients with COVID have symptoms, but do not go to the doctor until their symptoms become severe. Alternatively, some people do not undergo Covid tests when they have symptoms and, therefore, they lack Covid diagnoses.

“I’m sure there are people who are infected who are not being detected [and not being] Treaty, “said Moody, but added that not everyone needs to be regularly proven and that high -risk people should prove more frequently.