Why Are U.S. Coronavirus Cases Falling? And Will the Trend Last?

<p>The number of new coronavirus cases in the United States is falling, but has the country turned a corner in the pandemic? And what kind of threats do the new variants pose to people and to the vaccine rollout?</p><p>Today, we discuss the latest in the quest to stamp out the pandemic.  </p><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/donald-g-mcneil-jr?smid=pc-thedaily">Donald G. McNeil Jr.</a>, a science and health reporter for The New York Times. </p><p>For an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/the-daily?module=inline">subscribe to our newsletter</a>. You can read the latest edition <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/column/the-daily-newsletter">here</a>.</p><p>Background reading: </p><ul><li>New daily cases are starting to slow, in what some health experts see as a turning point.<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/22/us/covid-cases-decline.html?smid=pc-thedaily"> But they warn of a bumpy vaccination rollout</a> amid the emergence of more contagious variants.</li><li>The C.D.C. has<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/22/us/politics/cdc-coronavirus-vaccines.html?searchResultPosition=4?smid=pc-thedaily"> eased coronavirus vaccine rules</a>: The agency now says people can switch authorized vaccines between the first and second doses, and also extend the interval between doses to six weeks.</li><li>One year, 400,000 coronavirus deaths: a look at how the U.S.<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/17/us/covid-deaths-2020.html?searchResultPosition=9?smid=pc-thedaily"> set itself up for failure</a>.</li></ul><p>For more information on today’s episode, visit <a href="http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily">nytimes.com/thedaily </a></p>